


Retrograde

by Spotted_Newt



Series: The First Rule of Time Travel [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Friendship, Not Romance, Sienna's blatant disregard for time travel rules, That's Not How The Force Works, in this house we love and respect the Jedi, no beta we die like men, some things will follow canon but other things will get shook
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 76,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26553589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spotted_Newt/pseuds/Spotted_Newt
Summary: Do Not Meddle - it's the first and most important rule of time travel. But when has Sienna ever been one to follow the rules? And besides, she's not the one with the gift of foresight, and it's not like she *meant* to fall through a Force portal, so can she really be blamed if she kinda sorta changes the entire course of history?I mean really, how was she supposed to know that the people she befriended were central to the timeline?
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Female Character(s)
Series: The First Rule of Time Travel [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931071
Comments: 66
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my first fic on ao3! This series, The First Rule of Time Travel, is a collection of stories mainly for my own amusement, so updates will be highly irregular, but what I lack in consistency I hope I make up for in entertaining drabbles. 
> 
> A quick note for context: the ocs in these stories are part of a Jedi Order from a different world and a different time. In that world there are no Sith, but there is an order of beings that call themselves Destroyers, and it is these beings the Jedi fight against. The Jedi have also taken a liking to visiting the Star Wars universe at various points in time and inevitably causing chaos along the way. If I wrote this well enough, you shouldn't need to know much about that other world to enjoy these stories, but if anyone finds themselves confused, please let me know! I'm happy to add more notes, or work quick explanations into the story.

Sienna grit her teeth as she blocked a blow from her enemy’s saber, his crimson blade pushing against her gold, the two buzzing as they met. 

“You fight well,” the Destroyer hissed, “But not well enough, I think.”

“Thinking? A Destroyer? That’s a first,” Sienna retorted. 

The warrior growled, pushing harder against his blade, but Sienna met his force with her own. They moved in a slow circle, the blades never budging from where they hovered, locked together in the air. A few meters away, Calian was locked in similar combat, except that he was parrying two crimson blades instead of one and somehow making it look easy. The Knight danced within the Force, and Sienna could only hope that someday, she would be as graceful as the older Jedi. 

Sienna gathered the Force within her, asking it for a bit more power, and then threw it against her lightsaber. Gold overpowered red, and the Destroyer was knocked backwards a few feet. He growled, and Sienna growled back. The parrying began again, swinging and leaping and ducking and lunging. Eventually, they found themselves locked together again, but this time Sienna found her back against a large boulder. She cursed her own foolishness at letting herself be maneuvered into such a weak fighting position, but she had found herself in similar tight spots many times before, and she had always come out of it. 

The Destroyer smirked suddenly, and Sienna felt a deep sense of foreboding in the Force. 

“Not a first,” he said, referring back to her comment, “I also thought ahead.” He extinguished his lightsaber, and Sienna stumbled forward with the sudden loss of opposing pressure. The Destroyer took advantage of her unbalance and thrust out a hand, calling upon the Force and throwing Sienna backwards against the rock. 

Except, she didn’t hit the cold surface. She passed right through it.

Calian glanced up at the spike of alarm he felt through the bond he had with his Padawan just in time to see the girl pass through a Force Portal that had been opened in a seemingly normal boulder. “Sienna!”

But it was too late for her to hear her Master’s cry. 

Sienna landed hard on her back, the air rushing from her lungs. She gaped like a fish out of water, and then when she could finally breathe, she slowly sat up. Sand. Sand everywhere. She was sitting in a vast desert, the sand burning the skin on her bare fingers, so clearly she had been thrust into another universe. But where? And when? And how?

Normally, a portal would appear to her and her Master when the Force called them on a mission. Or, if they had a mission of their own, they could seek out a portal at one of the many sacred locations that they knew of. But for there to be a random portal in a random boulder that a Destroyer had activated to throw Sienna to who knows where? 

That was unheard of. 

Sighing, the girl picked herself up and brushed the sand from her clothes. A flash of silver caught her eye, and to her relief she saw her lightsaber lying in the sand just a few feet away. She scooped it up and shook the sand from it as well. She lifted a hand to shade her eyes as she squinted around the bright desert. There was just sand as far as she could see, flat in some areas and swept into tall dunes in others. 

Ugh. Sienna hated sand. Sandy environments were less than optimal for ships and other machines, the little grains getting in every nook and cranny and wearing down engines. She much preferred cities, or jungle planets. 

The Padawan weighed her options. She could stay here and hope for her Master to come through the portal as well. Or, she could seek out water and shelter. In this heat, she wouldn’t last long sitting out in the open, and she had a dark feeling that the portal she had been tossed through was a single-use door. Which meant no one would be coming through that way. 

Alright then, which direction to start wandering? She closed her eyes and searched the Force, which nudged her north. So, she set out in that direction. 

Two hour’s worth of wandering found her hot, tired, dehydrated, sunburnt, cranky, and no closer to any sign of civilization. Or anything living at all. Not even a cactus dotted the barren landscape. Up ahead towered stone cliffs, which the girl supposed would at least offer some shelter from the sun and a place to rest for a bit. Maybe, if she was really lucky, there would even be a pool of water under one of those many ledges, a small puddle that the sun’s rays hadn’t been able to dry. 

Sienna audibly sighed with relief when she stepped into the shadow of the first stone. Her skin ached from the sun’s harsh glare, and the cool of the shade was like a soothing balm. She didn’t even bother stepping farther into the canyon. She slumped down against the rock, stretching her legs out and leaning back. Her eyes drifted closed, and she sunk into a light healing trance to gain some energy and sooth her burns.

 _Whirr_.

A noise caught Sienna’s attention at the same moment the Force whispered a warning. She opened her eyes, and then yelped and threw herself flat against the ground as a vehicle shot over her at some unlawful speed. Another was right on its tail, and then a third came around a corner too fast and crashed into the side of the cliff. Sienna shielded her eyes from the blast. Someone yelled, and she looked up again to see a smaller vehicle heading straight for her, smoke billowing from one of its engines. 

“Look out!” The pilot cried, and Sienna lunged to the side. 

The vehicle clipped the rock she had been leaning against, the pilot yelling all the while as he tried to control the vehicle. It hit the sand and skidded for several meters, before finally coming to a stop. Other vehicles flew around it, their drivers yelling curses at the fallen one for getting in their way. 

“Are you alright?” Sienna called, having picked herself up and begun making her way over.

“Yeah I’m ok,” the driver - who looked like just a boy, now that Sienna could see him - said, flicking some switches. The smoke slowed from a billow to a whisp. “Watto’s gonna kill me for wrecking another pod though.”

“What is this, some kind of racer?”

“You’ve never seen a pod race before?” 

“A pod race? Mm, not in a while.”

“Then I guess that’s why you were sitting in the middle of the racetrack. You’re lucky you didn’t get run over.”

“Guess so. I um,” Sienna looked around, “I’m a bit lost.”

“Where’re you trying to go? There’s nothing out here except tons of sand, and Tusken raiders.” The boy looked up at her curiously. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in town before.” Then, eyes brightening with excitement, “Did you come from outer space? From another planet? Do you have a starship?”

The child’s enthusiasm was a refreshing change from hours of wandering, and Sienna smiled at him. “Yes, and yes, and no. I’m not from around here, but I’m not here on purpose. Actually, I’m not totally sure where here even is. I was… dumped in the desert.”

“Wow, someone must be really mad at you if they left you in the desert. People usually die if they get stuck out there.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that was the intention.”

“Well you’re on Tatooine. And I’m Anakin, Anakin Skywalker.”

“Sienna Retrograde,” she introduced, holding out a hand. 

The boy shook it. “Nice to meet you Sienna.” He climbed out of the pod, chucking his helmet into the empty seat. As he turned, he caught sight of the silver object hanging from the stranger’s belt, and his eyes widened. 

“Woah, is that a laser sword?”

Sienna snorted. She unclipped it, flipped it in the air, and clipped it back with a smirk. “It’s called a lightsaber.” 

“Are you a Jedi? Only Jedis carry laser- er, lightsabers.”

She probably should hide it, not draw attention to herself. Plenty of folks didn’t like Jedi. But the kid had already seen it, so what was the use in lying?

“Sort of, yeah. I’m a Padawan, which is a Jedi in training.”

“Wizard! You know, I had a dream one time that I was a Jedi. I flew on a star ship and visited all the planets, and I came back here and freed all the slaves.”

Sienna’s smile faded a bit at that. There was slavery on this planet? Great. That made this an even more dangerous place for her to be. A lone girl without a home was a prime target for slave traders. 

Anakin didn’t seem to notice her change in mood though. He was still chattering. 

“Wanna help me get my pod back to Watto? Then you can come home with me if you want, my mom won’t mind. I bet she’d like to meet a Jedi.”

Sienna hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Sure.” The pod seemed awfully big for one boy to pull all by himself, and she needed somewhere to get water. 

“Wizard. Here, you grab this rope and I’ll grab this one. We’ll pull it together.”

The pod was, as expected, heavy. But together (let’s face it, Sienna did most of the pulling, despite the boy’s best effort, seeing as she was older and had Jedi training) they managed to get it back to the garage. 

“Ani! What have you done to my pod?”

“I did my best Watto. It’s only a little banged up. And it’s not my fault, Sebulba pushed me against the cliff.”

“Agh. You’re gonna fix a this.” The blue being turned his eyes to Sienna. “And who’s this?”

“This is my new friend.”

Watto scoffed, noting the sunburns on her face and the rips in her clothes from where she had scrapped against rocks in her attempt to not get run over.

 _“She looks like something a Bantha dragged in,”_ he commented in huttese. 

Anakin scowled at him. “ _She’s nice, and she helped me bring the pod back.”_

_“Did she? Well she better not be expecting payment for that.”_

_“Not to worry pal, I did it out of the kindness of my heart.”_ Sienna said. She smirked when Watto’s eyes widened, and Anakin looked up at her in surprise. _“Yeah, I speak Huttese.”_

Watto gave her a suspicious glare, then glanced at her hip, where her lightsaber hung, but she had wrapped a rag around it on the way here so that it looked like nothing important. 

“Well then, go on and get home. The race ended an hour ago. But remember to fix the pod tomorrow.”

“Yay!” Anakin grabbed Sienna’s hand. “C’mon, I’ll show you where I live.”

By the time they reached Anakin’s house, Sienna’s head was throbbing. A dehydration headache to be sure, but it was hard to ignore, and she felt a bit dizzy too. 

“Mom! Mom I’m home! And I made a friend.” Anakin yelled excitedly into the house, and Sienna winced slightly at the noise. 

A woman with dark hair came out of one of the inner rooms. Anakin ran towards her and flung his arms around her in a hug, and the woman squeezed him tight. “Ani! I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m fine mom, I’m the best racer ever, remember?”

The woman hummed, then smiled kindly at Sienna as Anakin wiggled out of the hug and tugged his mother closer to his new friend.

Sienna extended her hand in greeting. “Sienna Retrograde,” she introduced, as the woman stepped forward to shake her hand. “I hope I’m not intruding, Anakin wanted me to meet you.”

“Shmi Skywalker. Welcome to my home. It’s no trouble at all, Ani likes to bring his friends home for me to meet. I’m quite used to it. ”

“I found her out on the racetrack, mom. She’s helped me bring my pod back to Watto after I crashed.”

Sienna noticed a slight crease in Shmi’s forehead when Anakin mentioned crashing, but the woman smiled at Sienna anyway. “Thank you for helping, that would have taken ages if he tried to drag it back on his own.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Shmi looked over the girl with the perceptive gaze of a mother well used to dealing with a trouble-prone child. “You look tired. Why don’t you stay for dinner? It’s the least I can offer for helping my boy.”

“That’s very kind, I would love to. Thank you.”

“C’mon, Sienna, I wanna show you what I’m building.” 

Sienna allowed herself to be led to the boy’s room, half-listening to his chatter. She was grateful for the hospitality of him and his mother, but all she wanted right now was some water and a nap. And to get the sand out of her boots.

Anakin sat her down on the floor, then gathered various bits of metal from around his room. He sat down in front of her and began showing off each one, little models he had built and speeder parts and circuit boards. He spoke with pride, explaining how he had made the things and telling stories of trading nuts and bolts with friends to get the right parts. In a way, he reminded Sienna of herself, though a much younger and far more excitable version. 

“You know, I like to build things too,” Sienna said.

“You do? Cool! What’s the bestest thing you’ve built?”

“Hmm. I’d say a starship.”

“Wow, a whole starship?” Anakin asked, eyes wide. 

“Yup. It’s small, but it flies like a dream.”

“Wizard. Someday, I’ll build a starship. I’m working on my own pod racer. It’s gonna be the fastest ever built. Have you ever built a pod racer?”

“Not like the ones here. I’ve worked on plenty of speeders and swoops and stuff though.”

“Neat. Have you always built stuff?”

“As long as I can remember.”

“Me too. Mom says I’ve always built things.” Anakin paused his fiddling with one of his models. “How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“You’re waaaay older than me,” Anakin said, “I’m only eight.”

Sienna blinked in surprise. He was younger than she had thought. “Wow, you pod race already?” 

“Yeah, I’m the youngest and I’m the only human.” He smiled proudly at that. “No other human can do it.”

“Why not?”

Anakin shrugged. “I dunno, they’re not quick enough I guess. Pod racing is hard. But I can do it. Watto says I’m practically si- sick- um..”

“Psychic?” 

“Yeah! That word. He says I’m that because I can tell when a rock is gonna fall, or when someone’s pod is gonna crash, and I don’t get hit. Usually.” 

That caught the girl’s attention. “You can sense things that are about to happen?”

“Yup. Kinda like a Jedi, right? You can sense stuff too? That’s what I’ve heard the deep space pilots say.”

“Yeah, we can. We’re not really psychic though. We’re in tune with the Force, and it speaks to us.”

“The Force? What’s that?”

“The Force is…” Sienna tried to think of how to explain it. “It’s like an energy. It’s everywhere, in everything. It holds all of time and space together and flows through them, like electricity through a wire. And it flows through people too. Some people are more in touch with it than others. We call those people Force-sensitive.”

“Force-sensitive?”

“Yup. Force-sensitive people can feel the Force and hear it when it speaks, and they direct some of its energy to help them. Like this,” Sienna lifted her hand and channeled the Force, using it to lift Anakin’s model of a starship into the air. It circled just above him, swooping and turning as Sienna directed it.

“Wow,” Anakin reached out and poked the ship. “What else can you do with the Force?”

Sienna lowered the model back to the floor. “I can use it to help me jump high, or run faster than a normal person.”

“That’s epic! Can you show me?” 

The boy’s enthusiasm was contagious, and had they been outside and if she hadn’t spent the past few hours being baked, she probably would have done so. “Maybe later. I’m a bit tired right now, from wandering in the desert all day.”

It was at that moment that Shmi called the pair to dinner. Anakin hopped up to his feet and dashed to the kitchen. Sienna followed. When she saw the glass of water at her place setting, she felt like someone who had just stumbled upon buried treasure. 

Shmi watched her down the glass in one go, and passed her a pitcher of juice just as the glass touched the table again. “You seem thirsty,” the woman commented. 

Sienna flushed in embarrassment, having forgotten her manners in her excitement. Not that the blush could be seen underneath the red glow of her sunburn. “Thank you,” she said, accepting the pitcher. 

“The juice is better than the water for hydrating. It has electrolytes. Were you out in the sun too long today?”

“She got dropped in the desert by some rando,” Anakin helpfully supplied. 

Sienna flushed again. “Erm, yes. I ran into an old.. acquaintance, and he was less than happy to see me. One thing led to another and I ended up in the middle of the desert somewhere.”

She expected Shmi to grow wary at that, but the woman only sighed. “That’s the way things go around here. I wish people would be a bit kinder to one another, instead of solving every disagreement with harm. How long were you out there for?”

“Um, a couple of hours, I think? And then another hour bringing the pod back.”

“You’re lucky you don’t have heatstroke. No wonder you’re dehydrated. And sunburnt. I’ll give you something after dinner for those burns. I keep plenty on hand, Anakin has a bad habit of staying out in the sun without anything to cover his head.

“Thank you, you’re very generous,” Sienna said.

“What would the world be if people didn’t help one another.” Shmi smiled and passed a bowl of vegetables to Anakin, who grumbled but reluctantly scooped a helping onto his plate, before passing the bowl to Sienna. “Where are you from? Anakin said you’re from off planet.”

“I’m from a little world called Felidae.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Shmi said apologetically. 

“Few have. It’s far out, and well hidden. The folks there keep to themselves for the most part. And those who travel usually don’t share the name of their true home.”

“Why not?” Anakin asked.

Sienna wasn’t quite sure how to explain the fact that her planet existed not only in a different galaxy, but an entirely different time and dimension, and therefore it was best to just name a local planet people would be familiar with. “It’s a relatively simple planet, and people like to keep it that way.”

“It may be better that way,” Shmi said, “Stay out of the wars, and away from the likes of the Hutts. If your planet is entirely self-contained and independent, it is one of the few that still is.”

Sienna hummed in agreement as she took a bite of her meal. Already, with some food and drink, she was beginning to feel better. Her mind was clearing, and she was able to file away bits of information, using them to try and piece together _when_ in the galaxy she was, now that she knew _where_ she was. 

“Are there lots of Jedi there?” Anakin asked. 

Shmi looked surprised by this question, and Sienna remembered that Shmi didn’t know she was a Jedi yet.

“Not a whole lot, but a few. A small order.” 

“Do you have a Jedi school? You said you’re just a pad- pada- a Jedi in training. Do you have to go to school?”

“Padawan,” Sienna supplied. “And yes, kind of.”

“You’re a Jedi?” Shmi asked.

“Yes, a Padawan Learner, a Jedi in training.”

“I wouldn’t go around telling the folks around here,” Shmi warned, “The Republic has no reach out here, and the Hutts don’t like Jedi. You’d have a bounty on your head in no time.”

Sienna nodded. The Republic. That narrowed the timeline down a bit. “I plan to lay low until I find a way home, or my Master comes looking for me.”

“Your master? You’re a slave too?” Anakin asked in surprise. “I thought Jedi couldn’t be slaves.”

“Er, no. Master is a rank for a very skilled Jedi, and it’s how a student refers to their teacher. A Padawan is an apprentice to a Master.”

“Oh,” Anakin said. 

A slightly awkward silence fell over the table. Sienna processed Anakin’s words. _Are you a slave too?_ That indicated that he was a slave, and his mother probably was too. It made sense, come to think of it, with the way Watto had spoken to the boy. Sienna should have made the connection sooner.

It was Shmi that broke the silence. “Do you have a place to stay?”

“I don’t,” Sienna admitted. 

“Why don’t you stay here. Our home is modest, but there’s enough room.”

“Are you sure? I can find a motel or something.”

“Do you have any money?”

“Um,” Sienna realized that she had nothing except for her lightsaber and the clothes she was currently wearing. “..no.”

“Then you won’t find a room. Nothing comes for free in a place like this. Stay here, it’s no trouble.”

“And tomorrow you can show me more Jedi tricks!” Anakin exclaimed.

“Alright. Thank you,” Sienna said, for what was probably the tenth time since entering Shmi’s home. She was incredibly grateful for the hospitality the woman and her child were showing to a stranger. 

“It’s no problem.” Shmi offered another kind, motherly smile. 

The rest of the meal passed in comfortable conversation, and when they had finished eating Sienna offered to help Shmi with the dishes while Anakin went to get ready for bed. The older woman showed her how to scrub the dishes clean with sand, explaining that water was a precious commodity on a desert planet. She then got out a healing cream for the sunburns.

“Just a thin layer will do,” Shmi said, passing the jar to Sienna. She glanced over the younger woman’s clothes, noting the tears. “You said you don’t have any money. I take it you don’t have a change of clothes either?”

Sienna glanced away from the mirror and over her attire, assessing the damage that Shmi was frowning at. It wasn’t that bad, but she certainly looked roughed up. 

“Let me grab my sewing things, and I’ll mend those for you. I was planning to fix one of Anakin’s tunics tonight anyway.”

“You’ve already done so much. I can sew, I can fix them myself, if you let me borrow a needle and some thread.”

And so Sienna spent the next hour or so sewing alongside Shmi in companionable silence. It was odd to think she had only met this woman a few hours ago. Shmi radiated such warmth and kindness that Sienna felt more at ease after knowing her that short time than she could ever remember feeling upon meeting anyone in her life. 

As for Shmi, she found that she liked this girl. She had been nothing but polite since the moment she stepped through the doors. She had a spark in her eye that would no doubt get her in trouble, but she had a feeling that the girl was more than capable of handling herself. She moved like someone who dared the world to try and mess with her. Physically strong and clearly a fighter, but quick of mind too, and Shmi suspected she was quite sassy among friends. 

But she also had a good heart. Shmi could tell. A good heart was as rare as rain in the desert and not to be taken for granted. 

When morning came and Anakin asked Sienna if she wanted to walk into town with him, and if she wanted to come by later and see the pod racer he was building, and if she would show him more Jedi tricks, Shmi smiled. 

She had a feeling they’d be seeing a lot of Sienna Retrograde.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All canon lines belong to the writers and creators of Star Wars Episode 1.

_One Year Later..._

Sienna could feel herself slipping. 

No more was she surrounded by the good-hearted, light-filled Jedi. This was a city of thieves and liars, killers and traitors, all sorts of wicked folk. They trampled on the helpless and innocent, and to survive, you had to become strong and cold. Weaklings either found themselves dead, or kidnapped and sold into slavery, and the weakest among those died too. Only the strong survived in places controlled by gangsters, gamblers, and crime lords. 

Some might have despaired after the first few weeks of being stuck in a place like this, and they would have had good reason to. Not Sienna. She had grown up in a place just like this. Worse even. Nar Shaddaa, the Smuggler’s Moon, which circled the very home planet of the Hutts. It was a hundred times worse than Mos Espa could hope to be. And Sienna had survived. As a child, an orphan, she had survived. She built a name for herself as the best mechanic and general tinkerer in her district. _Five_ they called her, because no matter how trashed your ship or speeder was, she could fix it in under 5 hours. And she always did a solid job. No one who came to Five for repairs needed to go back anytime soon, unless they either managed to trash their ship again, or they tried to make off without paying. 

Her name spread, whispered from one smuggler to the next. Go to Five if you need repairs, but you better have the dough on hand. 

That was how the Order had found her, actually. A malfunctioning hyperdrive and a rough landing left them in need of parts and repairs. As Calian and Avetis had stumbled from their smoking ship, a drunk bystander laughed. 

“Looks like you need to take a trip to see Five!” He said.

“What is Five?” Avetis had inquired. 

“Best mechanic on the moon. Can fix anything in under five hours. Only honest bloke too. But ya better have the dough ready, else your ship ain’t gonna fly again.”

The two Jedi had donned cloaks and slipped into the crowd, following the man’s instructions to locate this Five person. They came to a shop, and were surprised to find a teen girl tinkering with a speeder. 

“Excuse me,” Calian said when the girl didn’t look up, “Are you Five?”

“Who’s asking?”

“Calian Verde, and my friend, Avetis Kaitto. Our ship is in need of repairs, and we were told you’re the best.”

“Got that right,” She said, tightening a bolt and then sticking the wrench back in her belt. She turned from the speeder and looked them over. 

Both Calian and Avetis froze when they felt her reach out in the Force, sweeping it over them, probing lightly at their minds. The two Knights had solid shields of course, and they noticed Five’s lips turn down in a slight frown when she found she couldn’t glean anything from their thoughts. 

“Where’s this ship of yours?”

“Not far. Forty minute walk perhaps.”

She nodded. “Let me guess, hyperdrive? And engine trouble, busted landing gear, leaking fuel line?”

Avetis blinked. “How did you know?”

She scoffed. “You’re too clean to have landed here on purpose, and there are other planets not too far off. So, you must have had to make an emergency landing on the nearest place you could find. And you didn’t fly your ship down here to my workshop, which means you’ve totally fried it.” She turned from them and grabbed a bag, filling it with tools and random parts. “You got money? Nothing comes for free on this moon, unless you plan on stealing.”

Calian reached inside his cloak and pulled out a fistful of coins. “Will this do?”

“Toss me one.” 

Calian did as asked. Five caught the coin, flipped it, held it up to the light. “Where’d you even get trugats this old?”

“They’re still good.” 

“I know. Just haven’t seen ones like this in a while.” She pocketed the coin, and held out her hand for the rest. Calian handed them over, she counted them, and then slipped them into a slot in her workbench. “Alright, let’s see that ship of yours.”

The two Knights had led her back to their ship, and her eyes seemed to light up when she saw it. “Finally, something _quality_.” Without another word to them, she set to work. 

Sure enough, she had their ship fixed in a matter of hours. Including the time it took for her and Calian to make a short trip to a nearby scrap shop to get some parts that she couldn’t have carried all the way from her own shop. Five told him what parts they needed, and he named a price. She scowled at him. “You’re overcharging.”

 _”He’s an outsider. He can pay the outsider’s price.”_ The Dug said in Huttese.

_”And I’m a local, and I know you’re full of Bantha crap. These parts aren’t worth that price.”_

”My price stands,” he said in Basic. 

“No, it doesn’t. You’ll take a fair price.”

Calian felt the Force move, and he cast a quick glance at Five. She hadn’t moved her hand, and yet-

“I’ll take a fair price,” the Dug agreed. 

Yep, she had used a Jedi mind trick. Did she even know she’d done so?

“Ground to Green,” Five said, snapping her fingers at him. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts, handing over the correct amount. Five picked up the parts, smirking triumphantly. “A pleasure as always, Rudama.”

The Dug growled, but there was no real malice in his tone. “As always, Five.”

They brought the parts back to the ship, and Five set to work putting them in their proper places. 

Calian pulled Avetis aside, and they moved just out of earshot, though close enough to keep an eye on the mechanic. “She used a mind trick on the seller,” he said, keeping his tone low, “He wanted to overcharge me, and she convinced him to take a fair price.”

“And she probed us when we entered her shop the first time.”

“She likely does that to all her customers. That’s how she can tell who has cash, and who’s bluffing.” Calian looked at her as she slid under the belly of the ship, one of the new parts in hand. “She’s strong with the Force.”

“Does she even know what the Force is? Do you think she’s heard of Jedi?” 

“Probably not. If she has, likely just rumors from smugglers and bounty hunters.”

“So probably not good things, if anything.”

Both Jedi sighed. Silence stretched between them for a couple minutes as they observed the girl. 

“She’s not from our Time,” Calian said. 

“Neither was I,” Avetis reminded him, “And yet I am now.”

“Do you think Master Azimuth would approve? Her rules are…”

“Strict and seemingly arbitrary,” Avetis supplied with a grin. 

Calian snorted. “Yes.”

“Well, she knows the Force better than either of us. There’s a reason she’s Grandmaster. But it is the Force she follows, so I suppose all we can do is ask the Force.”

“And the girl,” Calian added. “She might not want to come, even if the Force supports it.”

“Only one way to find out.”

Both Knights reached out into the Force, slowing their breathing and calming their minds, searching it for its will. It gave no clear answer, but it swirled expectantly around them, as if it was waiting for them to make a move. 

They heard a bang, and then a string of curses in varying languages. The girl slid out from under the ship, rubbing her head. 

“I think she felt us,” Avetis smirked. 

Calian was the one to approach her. “You ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just,” she looked around, but didn’t seem to find what she was looking for. “Nothing.”

Calian sat down on the edge of the exit ramp. “You ever heard of the Force?”

“The Force?” She asked, “That some kind of bounty hunter? Someone I should know?”

“No, not a someone. The Force is an energy. It exists throughout the entire universe, but only some people can tap into it.”

The girl frowned. “Sounds like a fairy tale to me.”

Calian raised an eyebrow. Then, he lifted a hand, and the tools she had left scattered on the ground rose up into the air. Her eyes widened slightly, but she otherwise kept her expression neutral. 

She had excellent control of her expressions, Calian noted, or at least any that would appear to be a weakness. Probably a survival skill in a place like this.

“You can do that too?” The teen asked.

“And much more,” Calian said, returning the tools to their places. “That’s the Force at work. Some beings, like you and I, can tap into it, and channel it to do things like pick up tools with a wave of a hand. Or, influence a stubborn Dug to sell you parts at a fair price.”

He smirked as her face went slightly red. 

She nodded towards Avetis, who still stood a couple meters away. “Can he use the ‘Force’ too?”

“Yes.”

“Cool. I always wondered what this was. No one else around seems to be able to feel the world like I feel it, or do some of the things I can do. Was that the Force then, a second ago?”

“Yep. You felt Avetis and I communicating with it.”

The girl frowned again, looking skeptical. “You talk to an energy?”

“Kind of? It’s not like talking to a sentient. The Force is an energy yes, but it also has a will. We were just trying to discern its will.”

“Sounds like some kind of wacky religion.”

Calian laughed. “I guess you can think of it like that if you want. But you know the Force is real. You can feel it and direct it yourself.”

Five picked up a tool, and slid back under the ship. “So why’re you telling me about the Force, Green?”

“Because you’re Force-sensitive, and I’m Force-sensitive, and I thought you might like to know a little about this power you have.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“I’m not an idiot, Green.” Five slid back out from under the ship. “Why else are you telling me?”

Calian hesitated. But the Force whispered no warning, and it brushed against him gently, encouraging him. “We were wondering if you’d like to come with us, and learn about the Force.”

“There are teachers on our planet,” Avetis said, having walked over, “Masters of the Force, of its ways and mysteries and uses. They could teach you about it, how to channel it and connect with it better.”

“What do you call these ‘Masters of the Force’? Does your group have a name?”

“We are Jedi, of the Cosmic Order.”

“You guys like mythical sounding names, don’t you?”

Calian smirked. “Well we couldn’t choose something _boring_.”

“Are you wanting me to come be a Jedi, and join your magical Cosmic Order?”

“Well,” Avetis hesitated a moment, thinking of what to say. “We may extend that offer to you, in time. But first we would like to offer the opportunity simply to come and learn.”

Five tilted her head, examining them. “What if I say no?”

“Then we leave you here, and thank you for fixing our ship,” Calian said. “Our invitation is open, but you are under no obligation to accept.”

Five nodded, then slid back under the ship. She said nothing more to them. 

Half an hour later she emerged. “Your ship’s done,” she said, wiping her hands on her pants.

Avetis and Calian both half-bowed to her. “Thank you. We appreciate your help.”

“No problem. It was fun to work on something that isn’t a half junk,” she grinned. “Half the folks that modify their own ships don’t know squat about what they’re doing. They cause more problems than they fix, and then I end up having to fix those in addition to what they came in for.”

“Well, I’m glad we found someone who both knows what they’re doing and didn’t seem the sort to leave us with an engine that will explode the moment we leave the atmosphere.”

Five snorted. “Of course not. I don’t feel like getting blown up today.”

Both Knights blinked at her in surprise.

“Oh, come on, didn’t your powerful Force tell you I was coming?”

“That’s… not quite how it works.”

“Really? Well, it told me to go, and it hasn’t steered me wrong yet.”

It took only a moment for Calian to recover from his surprise. “Well then, welcome to the crew.” He held out a hand, and Five gave it a firm shake. 

“Thanks. I need to grab a few things from my shop before we head out.”

“No problem. We can fly down there, if you want.”

She nodded.

One duffle bag and a box of tools later, the three of them were on board and out in open space. 

One jump through a Force Portal found them on a different planet. 

And from there, Five became Jedi Padawan Sienna Retrograde. She lost some of her sharp edges and learned how to trust, how to be part of a family, how to do more than survive among thieves. The kindness of the Jedi was like sunlight, such a contrast to the harsh moon she grew up on. She was still tough, but she also became gentler, kinder and more compassionate.

But now she was back in a land where compassion was scoffed at. Where kindness held little value. And Sienna could feel herself growing cooler, tougher, sharper. Back to the way she had been before the Jedi. It was necessary in a place like this. But it was also… Sad, somehow. To see how easily she went from sassy, caring Sienna to sharp, cool Five. 

_A Jedi adapts,_ she reminded herself. _We adapt, and we survive. But I don’t have to lose who I am._ She could be cool without being cruel, sharp without cutting. 

She could be Five, and still be Sienna.

And that’s what she did. She didn’t take crap from anyone, but she also didn’t push people around. She took a job as a mail runner for hire, hauling packages across the desert from the city to other towns, to moisture farms, and to individuals. It was dangerous work, which meant it paid well. Mail runners were constantly getting attacked by Tusken raiders or wild beasts or thieves hiding out in the desert. It was a job with a high injury rate at best, high mortality rate at worst. Folks with deep pockets and important clients were willing to pay handsomely if it meant they didn’t have to haul their goods across the desert and risk getting mugged and killed themselves. 

For the average man, this job was a death sentence. But for a Jedi? Not so much. 

The first time she took a job she had been laughed at. 

“You’ll be dead before you make it halfway to the client, little girl,” said the Hutt who was looking for a runner.

“How much do you wanna bet?” She challenged. 

He chortled again. “I’ll pay you four peggats if you can get my merchandise across the desert.”

Sienna scoffed. “Only four? Unless you’re having me haul fruit, that’s a laughable price. I want twelve.”

He gasped, dramatically clutching a hand to his chest. “That’s triple! I’m not paying a dead man twelve peggats.”

“Do you want me to get the package across the desert, or should I hand it off to the raiders? I’m sure I could sell whatever it is you want me to haul for more than twelve peggats.”

“I’d send a bounty hunter after you if you did that.”

“Then you admit that your merch is valuable,” Sienna smirked. “The question is, how much is its safe delivery worth to you?”

The Hutt growled. “Ten peggats. That’s what I’ll pay you, girl, IF you deliver it safely.”

“I want half now.”

“No.”

“I’m no fool. Standard procedure is half up front, half upon return with proof of safe delivery.”

“You’re new. You have no reputation, nothing to guarantee to me that you can do this.”

“Which is why I’m willing to settle for your ridiculous offer of ten peggats.”

The Hutt eyed her, but he sighed. “Fine. Half now.” He motioned to one of his slaves, who passed over a small pouch. Sienna opened it, checked that the coins were real, and tucked them into her belt with a satisfied nod.

“I still think you’ll get killed,” The Hutt said.

“We’ll find out, won’t we?”

Needless to say, Sienna did not get killed. In fact, she made it back in record time. And slowly, her reputation grew, just as it had all those years ago. If people wanted something hauled across the desert, and wanted guaranteed delivery, they went to Five. The mail runner who always made it back not only alive, but relatively unharmed by the standards on this planet. No near fatal injuries or broken bones at least. As her reputation grew, so did her prices, but they always remained fair. And every now and then she took a job for a poor family, hauling medicine to a sick relative at a farm, for next to nothing.

She could be Five, and still be Sienna.

Regardless, it was tiring, being on guard and mistrustful all the time. So Sienna was glad to have two people she could trust, two people she could completely relax around. People with whom she could just be Sienna, and didn’t have to be Five. 

She pulled her cloak tighter around her body, squinting against the sand that whipped around her as she made her way to the door of the place those two people called home. 

“Shmi! I’m here, sorry I’m late,” Sienna called as she entered the Skywalker residence, shutting the door behind her with some effort as the wind tried to keep it open. She pushed back her hood and took off her cloak, wincing as a pile of sand formed on the floor beneath it. “And sorry about the mess, I’ll sweep it up.”

Shmi came around the corner, and the two women shared a quick hug. “I’m glad you made it,” the older said. She reached over and gently tilted Sienna’s head to the side, frowning at the cut that crossed her cheek. 

“It’s not too bad,” Sienna assured her, “I ran into some raiders on my way back. Just a couple of scratches and bruises, but they’ll heal up quick.”

“I worry about you out there. It’s dangerous.”

“I can handle myself. And I’ve faced far worse than raiders when I was far younger than I am now.” Sienna’s lip quirked up. “There’s a reason I’m the best on the planet.”

“That doesn’t stop me from worrying about you,” Shmi said. “Between you and Anakin, I’ll go completely grey within a couple of years.”

“I guess you’ll just have to stop fretting about me.”

Shmi laughed. “I couldn’t if I wanted to.”

Sienna removed her boots and left them by the door, and shrugged a satchel off her shoulder. Reaching into it, she pulled out a handful of Trugats. “Here,” she said, pressing the coins into Shmi’s hands. “I did well today.”

“You don’t have to give these to me. You should save them, earn enough for a ticket off-world.”

“So you keep telling me. But I don’t need them. If I really wanted to leave the planet, I could find a way. I want you to have them. You’ve always been so good to me.”

Shmi kissed Sienna’s forehead. “Thank you, my dear. Now, go get yourself cleaned up. You’re positively filthy.”

“Yes ma’am.” Sienna laughed. She moved past Shmi, heading for the bathroom. However, to get to the bathroom one must move through the dining area, and there around the table sat three beings Sienna didn’t know. She paused for a moment, surprised at herself for not sensing the extra presences earlier. Two were human, an older male and a young female a few years younger than Sienna, and one was of a species Sienna didn’t recognize. Which was saying something, she had met all kinds of beings in a place like Nar Shaddaa. She noted the way the Force swirled around the male. Clearly a Force-sensitive. 

“Sienna!” Anakin called cheerfully, “You made it!” 

“Don’t I always?” She kept her tone light and cheery for Anakin’s sake, but her guard had risen. She tightened her mental shields and eyed the newcomers with a hint of suspicion. 

“Well, there was that one time..”

“Let’s not remember that moment,” Sienna grinned, “I have to go clean up, but I’ll be out in a minute.”

She disappeared into the bathroom, and Anakin turned to Padme. “That’s my friend Sienna. You’ll like her, she’s cool.”

“I’m sure we will,” Padme said, smiling at Anakin’s enthusiasm, even if she wasn’t entirely sure. The Skywalkers seemed kind and nonthreatening, but the young woman looked like the kind of person who could kill you and make it seem like an accident.

When Sienna returned a couple of minutes later, she was wearing a fresh tunic and leggings and had washed the cut on her face. She sat down beside Shmi, since her normal seat was currently occupied by the sentient she didn’t know the species of. 

“I am Qui-Gon Jinn,” the man at the end of the table introduced himself, “This is Jar Jar Binks, and Padme Amidala.”

“Sienna Retrograde,” she responded, inclining her head slightly in greeting. 

“I take it you are a friend of the Skywalkers?”

“Yes,” Sienna smiled. “And they are good friends of mine.” There was a hint of a threat there. Sienna would protect her friends. 

“Do you live here too?” Padme asked. 

“On this planet, yes. I live a few neighborhoods away.”

“So yousa is not being a slave then?” Jar Jar asked. 

Both Qui-Gon and Padme glared at him for his lack of tact. 

“No,” Sienna said, “I am not. I run mail across the desert.”

“I can’t believe there’s still slavery in the galaxy,” Padme said, “The Republic’s anti-slavery laws-”

“The Republic doesn’t exist out here,” Shmi cut her off.

“And even if it did, it wouldn’t matter,” Sienna said, “Places like this are run by the Hutts, they answer to no one except profit.”

“But surely the senate-”

“Would be bought out.”

Padme gave Sienna an incredulous look. “The senate is a democracy!”

“So? It’s full of politicians. And politicians will always do what’s in their own best interest, to hold onto their status and to line their own pockets.”

“Not all of them.”

“Enough of them.”

The two glared at each other, a tense silence settling over the room.

“Has anyone ever seen a pod race?” Anakin asked after a moment, doing his best to break the tension. 

Sienna and Padme looked away from one another, turning their attention to Anakin instead.

“They have pod racing on Malistair,” Qui-Gon commented, “Very fast, very dangerous.”

“I’m the only human that can do it.” Anakin said proudly. 

“You must have Jedi reflexes.”

Sienna’s gaze darted to Qui-Gon. That was an interesting comment. 

Jar Jar took that moment to stick out his tongue to grab a piece of fruit. Qui-Gon’s hand shot out, snagging the tongue. “Don’t do that again.”

 _Speaking of Jedi reflexes._ Sienna thought. The Force whispered in an almost amused way.

Anakin looked at his plate, his demeanor shifting slightly. There was something he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure he should. Then, he looked back up at Qui-Gon. “You’re a Jedi Knight, aren’t you?”

Sienna sensed the girl, Padme, stiffen slightly. All eyes turned to Qui-Gon. 

The man remained relaxed. “What makes you think that?”

“I saw your lightsaber. Only Jedis carry that kind of weapon.”

 _Jedi_ , Sienna mentally corrected. No matter how many times she told him that the word was both singular and plural, Anakin always added an ‘s’ to the end. But at least he had finally stopped calling the weapons ‘laser swords.’

“Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him.” Qui-Gon’s face held a hint of amusement as he leaned back, indicating to Sienna that he had not, in fact, killed a Jedi. A good thing, because if he had, well, she and him were not going to get along. 

“I don’t think so. _No one_ can kill a Jedi.”

 _I wish that was true,_ Sienna thought. Unbidden, images of Calian when they found him after his capture came to mind. The injuries… He had nearly died.

“I wish that were so,” Qui-Gon said softly, echoing Sienna’s thought. 

Anakin turned toward Sienna, and she could feel his excitement bubbling around him as if Qui-Gon hadn’t just told him that Jedi are mortal like anyone else. He tilted his head, trying to read her expression, and when he couldn’t he frowned. 

_Why aren’t you excited too? Here’s another Jedi!_ He asked through the Force. 

Qui-Gon straightened slightly, surprise flitting across his features before he schooled them again. Sienna winced. She had been teaching Anakin how to communicate telepathically with her, by sending thoughts through the Force. The problem with telepathic communication though is that one has to be careful about where they direct the thought. Normally, it wasn’t a problem, since Sienna was the only other Force-sensitive on the entire planet as far as she could tell, so if Anakin was unfocused it wouldn’t matter - no one else would be able to hear words spoken through the Force. But now, a Jedi sat at the table with them, and he had clearly heard what Anakin ‘said.’ He was looking at Sienna with mild curiosity, and she could feel him gently probing the Force for insight.

 _I don’t know him,_ Sienna responded, keeping her thoughts carefully focused and directed, _And as far as his Jedi Order knows, mine does not exist. We are a secret group._

 _Oh,_ Anakin said, still projecting widely, 

_Mind your focus. Qui-Gon can hear you._

Anakin flushed, turning to look at Qui-Gon. “I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back and freed all the slaves. Have you come to free us?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“I think you have. Why else would you be here? Well, on purpose anyway.” Anakin glanced back at Sienna with that last comment, and she hid her amused smile by taking a bite of food. 

_Brat,_ she thought, and he smirked. Had it not been for the other guests at the table, she would have playfully chucked a piece of fruit at him.

A beat passed. Sienna noticed how Padme looked to Qui-Gon, as if to see how he would answer. He took a moment, and then leaned his arms on the table, a note of honestly whispering through the Force. “I can see there’s no fooling you Anakin. We’re on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission.”

“How did you end up out here in the Outer Rim?”

“Our ship was damaged and we’re stranded here until we can repair it,” Padme answered. 

“I can help,” Anakin said, “I can fix anything. Sienna knows, she’s seen me.”

“I believe you can,” Qui-Gon chuckled, “But first we must acquire the parts we need.”

“We’ve no nothin’ mula to trade,” Jar Jar explained. 

“Then you won’t be getting any parts,” Sienna said, “nothing is given for free in a place like this. Every scrap is bartered for, or stolen.”

“That is precisely our problem,” Qui-Gon agreed solemnly. “We have Republic credits, but they are not regarded as currency here. That leaves us only with our supplies, and even if we traded all the supplies on our ship, we still wouldn’t have enough for those parts.”

“What specifically do you need?”

Qui-Gon listed the parts, and Sienna whistled. “Yikes. That is a pricey list.”

“These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind,” Padme said.

“Gambling,” Shmi said, “Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races.”

“Pod racing,” Qui-gon said thoughtfully, “greed can be a powerful ally.”

“I built a racer. It’s the fastest ever. Right Sienna?”

“It’s a pretty good racer,” she agreed. She had spent many evenings helping Anakin work on it, teaching him all she knew. Not that the boy needed much help- he seemed to have an excellent understanding of each part and how they would all function together. He had learned a lot from his mother, who had taught him when she could, but it certainly helped to have another teacher. Sienna couldn’t say for sure that the pod was the fastest ever, but she could guarantee that it worked, and she would be willing to bet money on its speed. 

“There’s a big race tomorrow in Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod.”

“Anakin,” Shmi said, “Watto won’t let you.”

“Watto doesn’t know I’ve built it,” the boy argued. He turned to Qui-Gon. “You could make him think it was yours, and get him to let me pilot it for you.”

“I don’t want you to race. It’s awful, I die every time Watto makes you do it.”

“But mom, I love it. The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need.”

“Anakin.”

“Your mother’s right,” Qui-Gon said. Then to Shmi, “Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who could help us?”

Shmi sighed. “No.” She glanced at Sienna. “Just us.”

Sienna thought over her own role in this. She knew what Shmi was asking- was there anything Sienna could do? The Force was at work here, and despite her suspicion of these and any strangers, the Force whispered that she ought to help. But how? She had a little money, but not nearly enough for parts for a ship, just enough to keep food in her fridge. Though she was paid pretty well by the standards here, she didn’t save much. Instead she gave it away, buying canisters of water for the poorer families and giving what remained to Shmi to save up for supplies and hopefully, one day, her and Anakin’s freedom. Sienna could offer to be the one to drive the pod, but she had never done so before, and though she was confident in her piloting abilities, Anakin likely had a better shot at winning than she did. He had raced many times, he knew the course and knew the tricks the other pilots would play. Even with the Force, experience was crucial.

There was one other option. She doubted the strangers would go for it, but it didn’t hurt to toss it out there. 

“I could enter one of the field races,” Sienna said, “but we’d need to rent a ship, and there’s the issue of an entry fee. And I’m not even sure when the next one is, but there’s always one somewhere. The prize money is good, but given your circumstances, the whole process might be more trouble than it’s worth.”

Shmi paled. That was _not_ the answer she had been hoping for when she implied that Sienna might be able to help. “The field races are worse than the pod races!”

Sienna shrugged. “I did it all the time as a kid. I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“What’s a field race?” Padme asked. 

“They’re races through asteroid fields. Pilots from all over enter them. Mostly hotshots looking for bragging rights and fame, but there are also some career racers.”

“And which were you?” Qui-Gon asked, a vaguely amused smile on his lips.

Sienna smirked. “I did it for the thrill. There’s nothing quite like dodging asteroids at high speeds to get the adrenaline going and make you feel alive. Plus, it paid well.”

Shmi shook her head. “That’s because the chances of dying were higher than the chances of coming out alive, let alone winning.”

“Mmm, there was that,” Sienna agreed, “there’s a saying about the field races- there are no crashes, only bloodbaths. You crash, you die.”

Even Padme seemed to pale slightly at that. “How old were you when you raced?”

“I started when I was around Ani’s age. Did it until I was 15.”

“And your parents let you?”

“Bold of you to assume I had parents.”

Padme’s eyes widened, and she sputtered for an apology. “I- I’m sorry, I just, I thought-”

“Nah, it’s fine. You’re used to… a very different way of life. Growing up an orphan isn’t uncommon in the Outer Rim.”

“That’s very sad.”

Sienna shrugged. “It’s just the way it is.” Turning her attention back to Qui-Gon, she said, “am I right in assuming a ship rental and entry fee would be beyond your means?”

The man sighed. “I believe so.”

Sienna nodded, and a dejected silence fell over the room. Padme looked down at her plate, and Qui-Gon seemed to be watching Anakin, who was pushing his food around with his spoon. 

“Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is nobody helps each other,” Anakin said. 

“I’m sure Qui-Gon doesn’t want to put your son in danger,” Padme said, “We’ll find some other way.”

Shmi sighed. “No. There is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you.” She looked to Anakin, whose eyes brightened. “He was meant to help you.”

“You’ll let me race?” Anakin asked. 

“I will. If you can convince Watto to let you.”

“We’ll convince him,” Anakin stated with confidence. “Thanks mom!”

“Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I will. And besides, Sienna’s been training me. I’m even better than I used to be.”

“You podrace too?” Padme asked. 

“No. But I’ve been helping Anakin practice. No matter how good you are, consistent practice is important. It always helps to be prepared.”

“Wise words,” Qui-Gon agreed, “I suppose it’s settled then.”

“I suppose it is,” Shmi agreed. She stood, and gathered her plate, and reached out for Qui-Gon’s as well. He handed it to her with a word of thanks, and then passed her Jar Jar’s plate when she asked. Sienna stood too, gathering her dish along with Padme’s and Anakin’s. She liked to help with the housework whenever she could, as a way both to thank Shmi for her cooking and to spend time with the woman. 

The sink was not far from the table, and as they washed the dishes Anakin chattered with the guests. Qui-Gon hummed at appropriate moments, but his attention had turned to the girl. With the help of the Force, he filtered out distractions and focused on the conversation Sienna was having with Shmi. 

“He’ll be alright,” the girl was saying, “he always is.”

“I know. But there is always a first time, and I don’t know what I’d do if he got hurt.”

“He’s strong with the Force, and the Force is with him. It was before, and now that he knows how to tap into it and allow it to guide him, even more so.”

“I am grateful to you for training him,” Shmi said, “I’ll take anything that helps keep my boy safe.”

“He catches on quick. I just wish I was a better teacher. He’d be better off with a Knight.” 

“Sienna, you’re a wonderful teacher. He would know nothing of the Force if it wasn’t for you. And you teach him about mechanical things too, and help him grow his skills. We’re lucky you came into our lives.”

“I’m lucky to have found you. Who knows where I would have ended up. A lone Padawan, out of place and out of time on a desert planet, no money and nowhere to go.” 

“You’re a strong girl. I think you might have been alright.”

“Probably,” Sienna agreed with a light laugh. Then, growing somber, “But it would have been lonelier.”

Shmi turned to look at the young adult, hearing something in her tone. “What’s wrong?”

“I just,” Sienna set the dish in her hand on the drying rack. “I had thought they would have come for me, by now.”

“Oh, Sienna,” Shmi said gently, “I’m sure they are looking. You’ve told me so many wonderful things about Calian, and the others. And you also told me the Force is tricky about things like interdimensional time travel. I’m sure they’re doing their best.”

“I know. I just, I miss them.” She swiped at a couple of tears that had begun to form at the corners of her eyes. Blasted tears, she had better control than this. “Tomorrow marks one year exactly.”

“I know. Come here.” Shmi wrapped her arms around the younger woman, and Sienna leaned into the embrace, resting her head against Shmi’s shoulder. Shmi rested one hand on top of Sienna’s hair. “They’ll find you one day. Or you will find them. What’s that saying you have? Everything is the will of the Force. There must be a reason for your being here.”

Sienna inhaled slowly, and exhaled again, steadying herself. “You’re right. Thank you.” She straightened up. “I’ll look out for Anakin tomorrow. Up in the cliffs, watching, as usual.”

Shmi placed a hand against her cheek. “Thank you for looking out for him. I feel a little better knowing he has a Jedi watching over him, like a guardian angel.” 

Sienna smiled. “I do my best. Wouldn’t call myself an angel though. I don’t think angels are covered in grease and dirt.” 

They shared a laugh as they finished with the plates. 

A quick glance outside revealed that the storm had passed. The visitors thanked Shmi for the meal and for letting them shelter in her home. 

“I will return to Watto’s shop and see about the pod race,” Qui-Gon said, “and then I will return and discuss it with you.”

“I’ll come. And I’ll show you my pod too,” Anakin said, “there’s just a couple of quick things I need to do before I can race it tomorrow.”

“That sounds like good a plan,” Qui-Gon smiled at Anakin. 

“Sienna, will you come too?” Anakin turned his attention to her hopefully. 

“I’m sorry Ani. I have another run I need to make today. I should head out now that the storm’s done.”

“Awwwww. Will you be back in time for tonight?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t miss it. I’m just running some deliveries to the moisture farms, it’s not far and not dangerous.”

“What’s tonight?” Padme asked. 

“Uh,” Anakin looked to Sienna, not sure what to say. 

“Training,” the girl answered. What for was left unsaid, but since podrace training had been mentioned earlier, Sienna hoped that was what Padme would assume she meant. 

The younger girl seemed satisfied, and Anakin took her hand and led her to the door. Qui-Gon’s gaze lingered on Sienna, as if he knew there was more to the statement than what she allowed Padme to believe, but he didn’t comment. 

“We will be back soon,” He assured Shmi, who nodded with a kind smile. 

Sienna tugged on her boots, strapped on her armor, and wrapped her cloak around her shoulders. Once outside, she swung a leg over her speeder, settling onto the seat. “I’ll see you all later,” she said, putting on her goggles. Then, she was off. 

Qui-Gon watched her go, mulling over what he had gathered from the lunch. The girl called herself a Jedi Padawan, and Anakin and Shmi believed her to be one as well. But if she was a Padawan, why had she not greeted him? Why had she tried to hide her Jedi affiliation? And what was she doing here, on Tatooine, all alone? Where was her Master? If her Master had been killed, or if the girl was otherwise stranded here, why had she not been glad to see him, a Jedi Master, someone who could help her get back to the Temple?

The Force behaved strangely around the girl, and that made Qui-Gon wary. The Force flowed through all living things, binding the universe together. It was like a river, or a thread, or a spider’s web. But if the Force was a spider’s web connecting every being to every other, it was like Sienna was a dew drop on the web. If the Force was a thread, Sienna was a tightrope walker. It cradled her in such a way that although she was still part of the great river, she was also somehow separate. Or, not quite separate, but set apart. A drop of oil in a jar of water. 

Very strange indeed. 

On top of that, she was training the boy. How much, Qui-Gon didn’t know. At the very least she had taught him telepathy, and he suspected she had taught him how to listen to the Force as well. How much and how deeply was yet to be seen. And had she taught him how to use the Force to manipulate objects? 

“Mister Qui-Gon! Are you coming?” Anakin’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned back around to start after the others.

“I am.”

So many questions that Qui-Gon did not have answers to. He would have to speak with her later. For now, he had a task to complete. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 up! I actually had this written weeks ago, and then I got a new idea and wrote an entirely different second chapter. But then I remembered that folks are generally skeptical of OCs, and that perhaps the new chapter would be boring until folks get attached to Sienna the way I am. SO then I went back to this, and honestly I like this better myself. Maybe at some point I'll post a collection of stories about Sienna's adventures in that first year on Tatooine. For now, enjoy diving right into the canon timeline. :)


	3. Chapter 3

"What if this plan fails, Master?" Obi-Wan asked. "We could be stuck here a very long time."

"Well it's too dangerous to call for help. A ship without a power supply isn't going to get us anywhere. And, there's something about this boy..." Qui-Gon trailed off.

Obi-Wan, ever the perceptive Padawan, picked up on his Master's tone. "Something else, Master?"

Qui-Gon sighed, brow furrowed in thought. "Have you ever heard of a Padawan by the name of Sienna Retrograde? Human girl, about your age, perhaps a few years younger?"

A pause, as Obi-Wan searched his memories. "I don't think so. But I don't know every Padawan in the Order. Why do you ask?"

"There's a girl here of that description. She calls herself a Padawan, but she hides her Jedi status from me. She doesn't know that I know- I overheard her speaking with Shmi. And she has been training the boy in the ways of the Force."

"But that doesn't make sense," Obi-Wan said, and Qui-Gon could practically hear his frown, "what would a Padawan be doing all alone on Tatooine? I suppose she could be on a solo mission, she could be a senior Padawan like I am. But why would she hide that from you? And it's forbidden to teach outsiders our ways."

"It doesn't make sense," Qui-Gon agreed. "I hope to have a chance to speak with her later, find some answers." He sensed Shmi approaching and decided it would be best to wrap up the conversation. "I'll contact you when I have news."

"Good luck, Master. May the Force be with you."

"You as well, Padawan mine."

Shmi walked out onto the balcony just as Qui-Gon tucked the communicator into his belt. She offered a smile in greeting, and he smiled back, shifting to make more room for the both of them.

"You should be very proud of your son," he said, "he gives without any thought of reward."

"Well he knows nothing of greed," Shmi said softly. "I have tried to teach him to be kind and generous, to keep his heart warm despite the troubles of our lives. And sometimes, he teaches me. Like today." She looked out at Anakin tinkering with his speeder, the two droids with him. He was bent beside the back of the pod, checking something underneath the cockpit. The sight tugged at her lips, softening and widening her smile.

"I worry about him, like any mother. But he has always come back from his races with a grin on his face and nothing worse than a knocked tooth. It scares me to death, but he loves it. Racing makes him feel like he is his own person. And I can't fault him for that. It's a miracle, how he avoids the worst. It seems like someone dies in each race, or at least is badly injured. But never Ani. And for that I am thankful."

"He has special powers," Qui-Gon commented. It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact, and Qui-Gon watched Shmi curiously to see how she would react to it.

Shmi glanced up, and nodded. "Yes."

"He can see things before they happen," Qui-Gon continued, turning to look back at Anakin, "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait."

Shmi nodded again. This she knew. Sienna had explained the Force and many of its workings to the Skywalkers as best she could.

"He deserves better than a slave's life," Shmi said softly.

She had once dared to ask Sienna if she would take Anakin back with her, to her planet, to her Jedi. The girl had shaken her head sadly. "I've thought about it, but it isn't the will of the Force for me to take him with me. Few Jedi are brought to our Order from other Times. Most are from our own planet and time, or else things can get rather... messy." The girl had looked up at her with sincerity and a hint of sorrow in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Shmi had nodded in understanding, did her best to hide her disappointment, and had not asked again.

"Had he been born in the Republic we would have identified him early," Qui-Gon commented, "The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear. Who was his father?"

Shmi hesitated. "There was no father."

Qui-Gon concealed his surprise with a slow glance up and away, taking in the statement. No father?

"I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him," Shmi looked away, and then back at Qui-Gon, willing him to understand, to not call her a liar. "I can't explain what happened."

Qui-Gon considered this. The prophecy of the One who would bring balance to the Force spoke of a boy conceived purely of the Force. Could this be that boy?

"Can you help him?" Shmi asked, cutting into his thoughts. Sienna couldn't bring Anakin to her Order, which existed in an entirely different plane of existence. But Qui-Gon's Order existed here and now. Maybe there was hope.

"I don't know," Qui-Gon said. He looked out at Anakin working on the pod, and then back at Shmi. "I didn't actually come here to free slaves."

Shmi met his gaze, and then turned back to watch her son as his friends came to visit him. Her disappointment seeped into the Force, but she still held onto a shred of hope. Qui-Gon had not given a hard 'no', which meant there was still a small chance of a 'yes.' And if Anakin won the race and Qui-Gon couldn't free him, perhaps she could convince the Jedi to give her some of the leftover winnings to add to her savings for Anakin's freedom. Her entire life in slavery she had hidden away every spare wupiupi, hoping against all odds that she would be able to save up enough. When Anakin had been born she knew she would never have enough for both of them, but if her boy could be free, that was all that mattered.

He deserved better.

"What of the girl?" Qui-Gon asked after a moment of silence. "Who is she? Where does she come from?"

"Sienna? She's a kind girl. She showed up here a year ago, lost in the desert, and stumbled into Ani. She helped him drag a pod back to Watto, and he brought her home for dinner." Shmi smiled at the memory. "She's been around ever since. She's part of the family at this point."

"Anakin seems to think she is a Jedi Padawan," Qui-Gon said. It was true, technically, though Anakin had never told him so. But he couldn't say that he had eavesdropped on the conversation in the kitchen, nor that he had heard Anakin speaking with Sienna through the Force.

A beat passed. "Yes," Shmi agreed hesitantly, "that is true."

"That Anakin believes it, or that she is a Jedi?"

Shmi chuckled. "You can't be fooled, can you?"

"A Jedi is not easily fooled, if his senses are sharp," Qui-Gon returned with a smile.

"Yes to both. She is a Jedi Padawan, and Anakin probably knows more about her than I do. He loves listening to her stories."

"I am surprised to find a Padawan out here all alone. She can't be more than what, twenty standard years? You said she was lost in the desert?"

"She's twenty-one," Shmi corrected gently, "And as for her story, you will have to ask her yourself. It is not mine to tell, and to be honest I don't really understand much of it. The things she speaks of are beyond my imagination."

"Understood," Qui-Gon said, "I'll have to speak with her when she returns."

They lapsed into silence again, watching Ani tinker, each lost in their own thoughts. 

* * *

The deliveries to the moisture farms went smoothly, and Sienna made it back an hour before first sunset. She dropped off her speeder at her own apartment, making her way to the Skywalker's dwelling on foot. She spent so much time each day on a speeder, it was nice to just walk. Besides, she wasn't in any kind of hurry. There were still a couple of hours before Anakin's bedtime.

When she arrived at the Skywalker's place, Anakin grabbed her hand and dragged her over to his pod racer. "I finally finished it! And it works!"

"That's great!" Sienna said, smiling at the boy's enthusiasm. He had been working on it for years, and its completion was something Sienna was glad she had the opportunity to see. She circled the pod, checking it over, prodding at wires and testing bolts but knowing she would find no fault. Anakin truly was a gifted mechanic. Her fingers stilled on a swoosh of paint, the Galactic Basic symbol for the number five. She had told Anakin about her alias. Apparently, he had seen fit to add a piece of her to the pod.

"Do you like it?" He asked, the Force around him bubbling with excitement and a bit of nervousness. He bounced on his toes and fidgeted with his hands, staring up at her with bright blue eyes.

"I love it. It gets the Sienna Retrograde Stamp of Approval." She made a fist and mimed stamping a sticker on the side of the pod.

"Yippee!" Anakin was positively beaming. "I'm gonna win the race tomorrow. I can feel it."

"I think you will," Sienna said, and she meant it. She could feel something stirring in the Force, something important. Tomorrow would be a big deal. "Just remember to trust the Force, like I've taught you."

"I will. Are we gonna train now? You said last week that you'd let me try your lightsaber this time. Your real one, not a training stick."

"I did, didn't I." She looked around, trying to think of a place that would be safe for lightsaber practice. Training with a stick was innocent enough, nothing that would draw attention. But a lightsaber would definitely turn heads, and Sienna didn't want to create any suspicion in the community. That was the main reason she had held off on training him with one for as long as possible. "Why don't we go over to those rock formations and train there. That's far enough away that no one will stumble into us."

Anakin nodded eagerly. "I'll go tell mom we're going." He dashed up the steps, calling for his mother, and disappeared into the house. Only a minute later he was running back out again. "She says we have to be back by second sunset."

"Sounds good. Come on, I'll race you there."

The boy grinned. "3, 2, 1, go!" He tore off across the sand.

Sienna jogged after him, fully aware that she could best him in a race given her height advantage, training, and ability to use the Force to give her a boost. But instead she stayed just behind him, right on his heels, swiping playfully at his messy hair, and he shrieked and pushed himself to move faster, unconsciously calling on the Force to lend him more speed. She made a mental note to start teaching him how to control that.

"I win!" He high-fived the rock, and turned to stick his tongue out at Sienna.

She laughed. "Alright, speeder boy. Keep doing that and you'll get mistaken for a Gungan."

She had politely inquired about Jar Jar, and learned that that was what his species was called.

Anakin sucked his tongue back into his mouth and scrunched his face in a mock scowl for about half a second before his expression brightened again. "Can I see your lightsaber now?"

"First we have to check to make sure no one is watching. Close your eyes."

Anakin sighed impatiently, but did as he was told.

"Now reach out in the Force. Try to sense what's around you. Tell me what you see."

Silently, Sienna moved to the side.

"Um, I see rocks. And, hey, you moved." He turned around so he was facing her, eyes still closed. "Um, that's all I can sense."

"Good. You can open your eyes."

"Did I get it right?"

"Yes, you could sense where I was, which is great. I did a scan too, there's no one around. We can start."

Anakin watched eagerly as Sienna pulled her lightsaber out of its hiding place in one of her blaster holsters. He tracked her movements, eyes glued to the 'saber as she began to explain its different parts.

"This is the switch to turn it on. And this dial adjusts the length of the blade." She flicked the switch, and then twisted the dial up and down, showing Anakin how the blade changed. "It's important that the blade is the right length for your height, or else it will be hard for you to use it. There's also a heat dial. That changes how much damage the blade can do. Right now I have it all the way up at the normal combat setting. I can cut right through a rock." She demonstrated by picking up a fist sized stone, levitating it, and cutting through it with her saber.

Anakin's eyes went wide, mouth opening slightly in awe. _That was so cool._

"This setting is dangerous because it can _also_ cut right through a person. But if I turn it down, it will just cause a light burn. See, now it can't cut the rock."

Anakin frowned at the unimpressive burn mark. The cut rock was way cooler. "Why would you ever have it on low? What's the point?"

Sienna snorted. "The point is to not cut anyone's limbs off accidentally, brat. It's the setting we train with."

"Oh. That makes sense I guess. Can I hold it now?" He was bouncing again, buzzing with anticipation.

Sienna adjusted the settings, turned it off, and held the hilt in her open palm. "Here. Pick it up."

Anakin gently picked up the hilt, holding it between both hands reverently, gazing at it as if it was the most fascinating and precious item in the world. He titled and turned it, looking at the various buttons and dials, and he ran his fingers along the seams, trying to construct a mental schematic of the weapon. He wondered what allowed it to make such a focused beam of energy. "Can I turn it on?"

"Hold it like this," she adjusted his grip, "Ok, now flick the switch."

Anakin pressed the button with his thumb and the gold blade leapt out, buzzing cheerfully.

 _Hello!_ It called in greeting.

He waved it around, doing a few experimental swings. "Wizard."

Sienna smiled. She wondered briefly if that is how she had looked when she first held a lightsaber- all wide eyes and awe and thrill. "Remember the stances I taught you with the sticks? Try that with the lightsaber."

With Sienna's guidance, Anakin moved through the basic stances. He caught on quick, and soon was moving through them with the fluidity of an average youngling, not a boy who had never used a lightsaber. Sienna levitated a few small rocks and had Anakin swing at them, correcting his grip and stances. When he could do that with relative ease, she drew the rocks to herself and let them fall into her palms.

"Good. Now, try and practice deflecting."

She tossed one at him, and he swung the lightsaber.

"Ow!" The rock bounced off Anakin's forehead.

"Focus, Ani," Sienna said.

"I'm trying," he lowered the blade, rubbing the spot. It probably wouldn't even leave a bump, Sienna had been gentle, but it still stung a bit. "I can't see it, the lightsaber is too bright."

"Use the Force, not your eyes."

Anakin sighed, but lifted the 'saber again.

"Close your eyes."

He frowned, but did as instructed.

Sienna tossed another rock. This time, Anakin hit it, and the stone fell to the ground with a small singed mark.

Anakin's eyes sprang open, lighting up with pride. "I did it!"

"Good job! But stay focused." She tossed another rock at him.

He hit that one too. Sienna could feel his rising excitement in the Force as he succeeded in hitting several rocks in a row without missing any. And then he missed one, and it glanced off his shoulder.

"Focus," Sienna said again, "You got excited, and that distracted you. Stay focused on the present, on what you're doing. You can be proud of your accomplishment after."

Anakin grumbled, but Sienna felt him try to re-center himself. They continued.

They spent the rest of their training time like this, Sienna tossing rocks at Anakin and him having to sense and deflect them. The exercise had a couple of purposes. It fulfilled Anakin's eagerness to learn how to use a lightsaber, but more than that it trained him in focusing on and trusting in the Force to alert him to obstacles and dangers. That was the skill he truly needed. He would never have a lightsaber of his own if he wasn't a Jedi, but expanding his senses and keeping his mind focused were crucial skills.

Especially for tomorrow's race.

Anakin had a tendency to be impatient and was quick to grow irritated. But he also had a great potential for focus and patience, as evidenced by the time and care he had spent building his pod racer. The trick would be getting him to be patient in things besides tinkering. He was still just a child, and outbursts and lack of control were to be expected to some extent. Sienna by no means faulted him for that. Heck, she could be impatient herself. But if she could help him find his focus, that would serve him well throughout his life.

"I think that's enough for tonight. Good job," she praised as he powered down the lightsaber.

Anakin grinned, wiping sweat from his eyes with his sleeve. "Lightsabers are fun. And hard."

Sienna laughed. She held out her hand for the hilt, and he passed it to her somewhat reluctantly. "They are. You did pretty well, for your first time training with one."

The boy beamed, soaking up the praise. "You're a pretty good teacher."

"That she is."

Sienna whirled, instinctively placing herself between Anakin and whomever had spoken, tilting her 'saber to a ready position and resting her other hand lightly on her blaster.

Qui-Gon Jinn raised an eyebrow as he approached. "But perhaps she should practice what she teaches."

Sienna relaxed a fraction upon seeing it was just the older Jedi, but she didn't clip her 'saber back to her belt. He was right, she should have sensed him coming. Though she told Anakin to focus and listen to the Force, she herself had been too distracted teaching him to notice Qui-Gon.

"How long have you been watching?" She asked.

"Not too long," he said. His arms were casually crossed under his poncho. "Don't worry, Padawan, your senses are not so dim that you missed me in your original sweep. And I admit I was shielding myself as I approached." He turned to Anakin. "Your mother would like you to come finish your chores before dinner."

The boy groaned, but started off across the short stretch of sand that separated the stones from the dwellings. He waved to the pair of Jedi, who nodded and smiled in acknowledgement.

"I take it you want to talk to me," Sienna said once Anakin was halfway home.

"Indeed I do." Qui-Gon's tone held no malice, just serene curiosity. He sat down on one of the boulders, and gestured for Sienna to do the same.

She did, and sitting across from him with about six feet of space between them, she waited for him to speak first.

They sat in silence for a while. The Force rolled lazily around them, offering no suggestions but also no warnings. It simply waited, as Sienna did, for Qui-Gon to speak. She could feel his many questions. They swirled in his presence like curious minnows, dipping on the currents of the Force. She got the impression that he was meditating on which question to ask first, and searching her Force-signature for any clues it could give.

"You are not of my Order," he spoke at last.

Sienna almost rolled her eyes. Apparently he had chosen to start with the glaringly obvious. "No."

"Then why do you call yourself a Jedi, and wield a Jedi's weapon?"

"Because I am a Jedi."

Qui-Gon frowned at that. "Any being is free to leave the Order at any time," he said slowly, "but they are not permitted to claim continued affiliation with the Order, nor to train others in our ways."

It was Sienna's turn to frown, but hers was at the slight reprimand in his tone and the implications of his words. "You think I'm a Lost Padawan? Someone who turned away from the Order?"

She found herself offended by that assumption. She would never in a million years abandon her Order, her home, her family. She felt Qui-Gon's surprise at her words.

"Are you not?"

"No."

"Then how do you know so much of our ways? You wield a lightsaber, and from your instruction of Anakin I can see that you know at least the basics of the Forms. Your control and connection to the Force evidences formal training of your own. If you are not a member of the Order, and are not a wayward Padawan, what are you? The only other reasonable conclusion is that you were trained by a Lost Knight."

"Is that the _only_ reasonable conclusion?"

Qui-Gon's frown deepened. "I do not catch your meaning."

Sienna smirked. "I'm from a different Order."

Another spike of confusion in his Force-signature. "There have been no offshoots in a thousand years."

"Once again, you assume that your Order is the only one."

"Do you mean to tell me that there is an entirely separate Jedi Order that has never crossed our path?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"While I do not pretend to be all-knowing, I find it difficult, yes."

Sienna found his skepticism to be both annoying and somewhat amusing. She sensed that he was the sort of man who liked to speak in riddles, and it was just a _bit_ satisfying to be the one with the upper hand in the riddle-talking. The Force brushed against her, chuckling with its own amusement. _Serves him right_ , it seemed to say, and given by Qui-Gon's ever-deepening frown she suspected he could hear the Force's giggling too.

But she had to cut him some slack, given that her Order was intentional about staying undetected by his. "To be fair, this is where things get a bit complicated." Sienna paused, consulting with the Force.

Qui-Gon waited.

"I am a member of the Cosmic Order," she said at last, "We exist on the planet Felidae."

"I've never heard of it."

"You wouldn't have. It's beyond your galaxy, farther than your ships and explorers could hope to reach."

"If your world is so far, how did you arrive here on Tatooine?"

"The quick answer? The Force."

"And what is the long answer?"

"That I fell through a Force portal a year ago by this planet's time and landed in the middle of the desert, and haven't been able to find another to get home."

Qui-Gon was silent for a stretch. "...A Force portal."

"Yeah. Have you never heard of one before?" Sienna knew that Time Walking was a rare gift in her galaxy, but she wasn't sure how rare it was in this galaxy. And even if Time Walking was rare, portals across space alone weren't terribly uncommon, if you knew where to look.

"I've heard of them," the older Jedi said after a moment, "but they are said to be incredibly rare, and incredibly dangerous, and to exist only within specific and ancient temples. No Jedi that I know of has seen one, save perhaps members of the Council, much less accidentally fallen through to an entirely different galaxy."

"Huh. Well, interacting with them is more or less a daily occurrence for my Order."

"Hmm. That sounds… risky." His tone gave Sienna the impression he both disapproved and was intrigued.

She shrugged. "The Force is with us, and we go where it leads. We never- well, we _usually_ don't have any problems."

"I take it your accident is a unique exception."

"Yes," she said, tone betraying her exasperation with her circumstances.

Qui-Gon's expression softened. "You want to go home."

"Yes."

"Your Order has not come for you?"

Sienna looked down at her hands resting on her knees, and then out at the fading light of the sunset. "They probably have no clue where I am. The universe is large and always expanding, and portals are almost impossible to trace. And as far as I know, this is the first time someone has accidentally fallen through one. Normally, the Council keeps track of exactly when and where someone is going, so that if they're needed they can be found. And we have anchors too, and special communication devices. No one has gotten lost in Time since at least as long as I've been there. "

They fell into silence again. Qui-Gon looked thoughtful, gazing out at the expanse of desert that was currently bathed in the warm glow of the setting suns. Though he said nothing, his Force-signature was warm and curious, indicating that he had taken what she said as truth. Sienna found that she was glad that he believed her. She suspected not every Jedi would be so quick to accept the idea that another Order existed in another galaxy, or that the Force could bring people between the two.

"Why have you stayed on Tatooine?" He asked, "Why not come to Coruscant, and seek the help of our Order?"

Sienna shrugged. "I didn't think you'd be able to help. And I figured I'd be easier to track down if I stayed in place."

The older Jedi nodded. "Wise thinking. But it is possible that there may be something of use in the Temple archives. I have spent enough time mulling over ancient prophecies to know that the existence of portals is at least acknowledged in the texts, even if I have not put any energy into exploring how much is known."

"Hmm. Maybe. But to find out, I'd have to find a way to get to your Temple."

"Perhaps that can be arranged."

Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering to help me?"

"Perhaps."

"Don't you have a mission?"

Qui-Gon chuckled at that. "My missions tend to get sidetracked into many smaller ones."

For the first time, Qui-Gon saw her crack a genuine smile.

"I know the feeling."


	4. Chapter 4

The two suns rose on a city buzzing with energy. The streets were packed, people buying last minute parts and placing last minute bets on the day's race. It was so crowded that Sienna couldn't even drive her speeder without fear of running someone over, so she left her home early and walked the bike to the track.

Today was important. She could feel it in the way the Force curled with anticipation, unlike anything that she had ever felt before. As she neared the track, the feeling grew stronger, and when she found the Skywalkers and the visitors milling about near Anakin's pod, she sucked in a breath at the threads she could see in her mind's eye. They seemed to float around the group, particularly Ani, like spider's silk dancing on a breeze.

 _"A shatterpoint is a crucial moment in a timeline,"_ Master Azimuth had once said. _"When you find one, remember the First Rule. Do Not Meddle. While some mistakes can be rectified, influencing a shatterpoint will irreparably change the course of a timeline."_

Was this a shatterpoint? Sienna had never perceived one before, and had been under the impression that only the Masters on the Council could see them.

"Sienna!" Anakin's call broke the illusion, the threads disappearing and leaving only the vague sense of anticipation in the Force. He waved enthusiastically. Shmi and Padmé turned as well, but Qui-Gon had gone off to speak with Watto.

"Hey scamp," she greeted, walking over. "You ready for the big race?"

"Yeah!"

"He barely slept at all," Shmi said with an amused smile.

"I couldn't help it! I was too excited."

Sienna laughed. "Well, it's a good thing you seem to have an endless supply of energy, We wouldn't want you falling asleep out there, would we."

Anakin made a face that was supposed to look offended, but it didn't last more than a second before he was grinning again. "I won't fall asleep! I'm wide awake. I have sooo much energy."

"Good. Remember to channel that into focus though."

"I will. I even practiced meditating this morning for a whole five minutes."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! Didn't I, mom?"

"He did," Shmi said, "It was very impressive."

An announcement came over the intercom that instructed the racers to get their pods ready to bring out to the track. That was their cue to get going.

Sienna crouched down to give Anakin a quick hug. "May the Force be with you," she told him. "Listen to it well, remember what I've taught you."

"I will," Anakin promised, hugging her back. "Will you be watching?"

"From my usual spot."

"Don't get shot by any Tusken Raiders."

"Do I ever?"

"Well, there was that one time."

"Brat," Sienna said, straightening up and ruffling his hair. She stepped to the side so Shmi could hug him. "I'm heading out now. I'll see you all after the race."

"Be safe," Shmi said.

"I will."

Sienna hopped on her speeder and set out along the less-traveled side roads that would lead her out of the city. If she timed it right, she should be at the cliffs just before the first pods raced through them.

Sure enough, she heard the sound of fast approaching engines just as she made it to the top of the cliff. She parked the speeder, dropped to her belly, and crawled to the edge to watch the race from above. There were Tuskens on the other cliff, but she tugged her cloak close around her and shrouded herself in the Force. Unless their attention was specifically drawn to her, their gazes would pass right over as if she wasn't even there.

Sienna had chosen this particular spot to stake out the races because it was exactly halfway through the circuit, and the farthest point from the city. If someone got badly hurt out here, it would take ages before anyone found them, and by then it would be too late. She had rescued a handful of pilots over the past year, dragging unconscious bodies out of wrecked speeders, wrapping wounds and splinting limbs. Just enough to keep them alive until a clean-up crew could find them. For the ones that were critically injured, she had tried to make them comfortable until they passed, wrapping the Force around them to take away their pain so they could fade peacefully.

The sounds of engines grew louder and the pods came into sight, skidding around the corner of the canyon. Already, Sienna counted fewer than she had seen at the line-up. That was common. Folks stalling at the starting line, or crashing within the first minutes of the race. Sienna noted with apprehension that Anakin hadn't come through yet, but just as she was beginning to truly worry his little grey and yellow racer came around the bend and disappeared again on the other side. He must have had trouble at the starting line.

She hadn't been sure when Anakin claimed his pod was the fastest ever, but seeing it in action she thought that he might be right. He seemed to be covering the lost ground pretty easily, eating up the distance between him and the pods that had started on time.

_Come on, Ani, you can do it._

With the pods out of sight for the next few minutes until they came back around in the second lap, Sienna sunk into a light meditation. She stretched out her senses, feeling for Anakin's Force-signature. It was easy to spot, even from a distance. It shone like a nova in the Force, its light magnified by the lack of Force-sensitivity in any of the other racers. She opened herself to it, letting Anakin's feelings wash over her. He was excited, focused, determined. Irritated when someone tried to knock him off course. There was no fear in him though. He was confident, even when a destroyed pod nearly crashed into him. And he was open to the Force. Sienna could see it flowing through him like a river, whispering instructions that he obeyed without hesitation. And when something went wrong with one of his engines and she felt anxiety prickle the Force, she swept it away, pouring calm and focus into the thread of a bond that had developed between them over the course of the past year, and he righted the problem and raced on.

By the time they came around for the final lap, Anakin was right on Sebulba's tail. It was just the two of them now. Hope and excitement rose up in Sienna's chest. And when she felt the explosion of elation and pride in the Force around Anakin, she knew he had won, and she let her own feelings of pride and joy dance in the Force around her and flow to Anakin.

 _Good job_ , she whispered over the bond.

A thrum of joy answered her.

Her job here as lookout was done now, so Sienna stood, stretched, and walked back to her speeder. She'd drive along the outer edge of the track, far enough to be out of view of the cameras but close enough to see if anyone had crashed in the home stretch and needed ammateaur medical attention.

She did find a couple of wrecked pods, already being scavenged by Jawas. They ignored her as she approached and she ignored them as well. The drivers of two pods were dead before she got there- they'd likely died on impact. Another was unconscious, but a quick scan with the Force showed that he was otherwise unharmed. Sienna grabbed some scraps from his pod and erected a mini tent over his head, to keep him from getting too badly sunburnt, and then left him for the cleanup crew.

Just as she reached the end of the circuit and the stands came into view, a dark feeling rippled through the Force. Sienna turned her head to the left and saw a cloaked figure standing in the distance on a dune. The Force whispered in both recognition and foreboding. And yet it tugged her in that direction.

Sienna hesitated only for a second before changing course and driving towards the figure, who had disappeared over the ridge. The Force was wise, and she would always heed its direction. Hopefully, Anakin would forgive her for being late to congratulate him.

* * *

Anakin grinned as his friends cheered around him, Qui-Gon hoisting him up onto his shoulder. He'd done it, he'd won the race. The Jedi would be able to buy their parts, and fix their ship, and get to Coruscant.

Looking around at the crowd though, he noticed one was missing. Where was Sienna? Maybe her speeder had broken down, and she was having to walk all the way back. Or maybe she was helping someone. She was probably just running late.

Then how come he had such a worried feeling? It was like the Force itself was telling him something was wrong.

* * *

"Mom! Look at all the money we have!" Anakin dumped a handful of peggats into her hands.

Shmi's brow raised in surprise, and a smile spread across her face to match. She didn't know the exact sum, but from the looks of it, it was almost enough. "Oh my goodness, but that's so wonderful Ani!"

"He has been freed."

Shmi froze, lifting her head to stare at Qui-Gon in disbelief as Anakin exclaimed "what?!"

"You're no longer a slave," Qui-Gon said, smiling.

Shmi could barely believe her ears. This is what she had hoped for since the moment she first held Anakin in her arms.

But Qui-Gon had only said that Anakin was freed. And she knew, in that moment, that she was about to be parted from her little boy.

She was happy, so happy that he would be free. And she was sad, so sad, that she may never see him again.

"Did you hear that?" Anakin asked her, eyes wide.

"Now he can make your dreams come true," she told him. "You're free." She looked up at Qui-Gon. "Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?"

"Yes. Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident."

"You mean _I_ get to come with _you_ in your _starship_?" His excitement was palpable, even without the Force.

"Anakin," Qui-Gon crouched down to the boy's level, "training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge. And even if you succeed, it's a hard life."

Anakin was not deterred. "But I wanna go, it's what I've always dreamed of doing. And Sienna's already taught me, and she said I'm doing really good. I can do it, I know I can." He whirled back around to his mother. "Can I go mom?"

Shmi reached out and placed one of her hands over his. "Anakin, this path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone."

"I wanna do it," he said.

"Then pack your things," Qui-Gon said, "We haven't much time."

"Yippee!" Anakin shouted, dashing to his room. And then he stopped, suddenly realizing something, and he turned back around.

"What about mom?" He asked. "Is she free too?"

Qui-Gon sighed, a note of sorrow circling in the Force. "I tried to free your mother Ani, but Watto wouldn't have it."

Anakin couldn't accept that answer. "You're coming with us, aren't you mom?"

Shmi sighed, and took her boy's hands in hers. "Son, my place is here, for a while longer. It is time for you to let go."

"I don't want things to change."

"But you can't stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting," she said. She placed a hand on the side of his face. "Oh, I love you."

He dove into her arms, and she hugged him tight. "I don't want to leave you, I don't want to be free without you," he said.

Shmi sighed, then stood and moved Anakin back a step. "Ani, let me show you something." She took his hand and led him to her bedroom, then crouched beside the bed and pulled a box out from underneath it.

"What's that?"

"This," she said, putting a key in the lock, "was for your future." Shmi twisted the key and lifted the lid. Inside were neat stacks of coins. "Every day since you were born I added coins to this box, hoping that one day I could buy your freedom. And when Sienna came, she gave me some of her pay, and the stacks grew. And now you have won a podrace, and the winnings you brought home will be added to this box."

Anakin seemed to catch on. Hope brightened his eyes. "And then you can be free."

"Yes. Not yet. But very soon." She reached up to brush her thumb over his cheek again. "I will not have enough to leave Tatooine. But I will be free. And someday, when I can, I will come to visit you. Ok?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Ok." Anakin hugged her again, but he was smiling now, and his excitement returned. "Or maybe I'll learn how to fly a starship, and then I can come back and visit you!"

Shmi chuckled. "Maybe you will. Now go pack your things. Hurry."

Anakin ran from the room and off to his own. Shmi watched him go with a smile, then closed up the box and put it back in its hiding place. She returned to the living room where Qui-Gon still stood.

"Thank you," she said. He had given her the greatest gift imaginable.

"I will watch over him. You have my word," Qui-Gon said. "Will you be alright?"

"I will miss him," Shmi said honestly, "but we will meet again."

Qui-Gon nodded. He himself was not so sure, but there was something in the Force, something that whispered of change.

Maybe Shmi was right.

When Anakin emerged with his backpack and they had all stepped outside, he gave his mom one more hug.

" _Ret'urcye mhi,_ " he said.

"What does that mean?" Shmi asked.

"It's a phrase Sienna taught me in Mandalorian. It means 'maybe we'll meet again.' It's better than goodbye."

Shmi chuckled. "Well then, _ret'urcye mhi_ , my beautiful boy. Say hello to the stars for me."

"I will."

With that, he followed Qui-Gon, away across the sand.

* * *

Sienna pushed her speeder faster, squinting in the sunlight. She had been driving for some time, the figure just ahead on his own speeder. They were matched for speed and so Sienna barely gained on him, closing the distance slowly over time with her skill alone as she navigated better than he did around rocks and across the sand. She rose up over a dune-

-and was promptly thrown from her speeder as a red lightsaber slashed out the engines.

Sienna hit the ground, tumbled, and leapt to her feet, lightsaber in hand. She had just enough time to straighten and block a lightsaber flashing towards her neck. A red and black lip curled back in a snarl, white teeth bared and yellow eyes narrowed.

 _Great. This guy._ Sienna had fought him only once, (in the future, technically) but he was rather hard to forget.

Sienna snarled right back. She ducked low and swept around, maneuvering herself out of the deadlock. Maul turned as well and came at her with a primal ferocity she hadn't faced in a long time. His double-sided 'saber slashed from the right, then the left, then up then down then forward in a series of quick blows she found herself struggling to parry. It had been a year since she last sparred with anyone, and despite her frequent practicing on her own, her skills with an actual opponent were rustier than she would have liked. And she wasn't the best swordsman in the Order to begin with - she was far more skilled with a blaster.

They fought for a couple of minutes at a dizzying pace. He was wilder and more aggressive than Sienna remembered, less refined and less patient. And yet Sienna had the uncomfortable feeling that he was holding back, toying with her, testing her.

She knew she couldn't kill him. The last time she had met him was in the future, for this timeline at least, which meant he needed to live if she was going to keep the timeline intact. She aimed to disarm, maybe knock him out so that she could escape. He didn't seem to be aiming to kill her either, so that was good, right?

Right?

Just when Sienna was starting to feel a burn in her muscles and the beginning of fatigue, the Sith seemed to decide he was done playing. She felt the shift in the Force as he drew more power from it, throwing more weight into each blow. Sienna grunted as she struggled to catch and deflect his strikes.

He moved the lightsaber to one hand, jabbing high, and Sienna lifted her saber to block the blade swinging at her head.

Like a viper, Mail struck, shoving a knife into her abdomen.

Sienna gasped in pain and stumbled back. Warm blood began to soak her shirt, trickling down her side. She had a light armor plate over her chest, but Maul had jabbed the blade just under the edge of the armor.

_Well, Kriff._


	5. Chapter 5

Sienna stumbled and fell, mind reeling as she processed that she had been stabbed. Her lightsaber fell limp at her side as her other hand instinctively flew to the wound. _Kriff, kriff, kriff._ She needed to stabilize the knife, keep it from moving around, or else it might sever something vital, and the Force was ringing in her ears, shouting at her not to move, not to make the injury worse, _kriff_.

Maul smirked. The human body was so delightfully fragile. Had it not been for her armor, he would have struck between the ribs, and that would have had her dead in a matter of minutes. Oh well, he'd just have to finish this himself.

He raised his lightsaber to deliver a killing blow, but the Force _shrieked_ , bellowing a decisive _NO_. Of its own accord the Force stayed his blade and threw him back with the same concussive power of an explosion, sending him sprawling in the sand.

Maul grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs, and for a moment he just lay there, gaping like a fish as he tried to breath.

He was, to say the least, extremely confused.

He had never felt the Force behave in such a way. It didn't actively interfere. As a Sith it was his to control, to wrangle, to subdue and make to do his bidding. It sometimes fought him, but the harder it fought the more powerful the Sith became when they made it bend to their will. It was nothing but power for him to weild. The Sith don't obey the Force, the Force obeys the Sith. That's what made them greater than the Jedi.

And yet the Force had defied him. How? Why?

When he found his breath again he picked himself up and looked at the Jedi girl. She was lying down now, having fallen on her back, with the hilt of his blade sticking up from her abdomen.

If the Force didn't want him to kill her, fine. She would be dead soon anyway from blood loss.

Maul hopped on his speeder and raced away across the dune. He had other Jedi to face.

* * *

"Where's Sienna? I can't leave without saying goodbye!" Anakin slowed to a stop as he and Qui-Gon drew nearer to the Nubian cruiser. The boy had been hoping that Sienna would be there, but he didn't see her standing beside the ship. When he tried to sense her like she had taught him, it became clear that she wasn't already on the ship either. She wasn't there.

"It appears we must," Qui-Gon said apologetically. He was disappointed too. He had been hoping to ask the girl to come to Coruscant with them and to bring her to the Council, but it seemed that wouldn't happen now.

"But I might never see her again!"

"Anakin-" Qui-Gon turned, growing mildly frustrated, because they were short on time and the Force was upset and whispering half-warnings Qui-Gon couldn't make out, but then he saw a flash of red and he swiped his lightsaber from his belt, "Anakin, drop!"

Thankfully, the boy obeyed, and narrowly missed getting beheaded by a speeder. Qui-Gon met the crimson blade with his green one and shouted another order. "Go, tell them to take off!"

Wide-eyed, Anakin ran to the cruiser and up the ramp as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Mister Qui-Gon's in trouble and he says we have to take off!" He shouted into the ship.

Padmé looked at Anakin in alarm, and a man Anakin had never met immediately dashed to the cockpit, relaying the message. Anakin followed, and when they reached the cockpit a different man in a brown cloak took charge of the situation.

"Take off," he said, sitting beside the pilot, "over there, fly low."

Anakin pushed his way to the front of the group so he could see over the man's shoulder. From the viewscreen, he could clearly see the fight, and even in broad daylight the two lightsabers flashed brightly. Who was Mister Qui-Gon fighting? And why did the Zabrak feel so icky in the Force? Maybe he was one of the Destroyers that Sienna had told him about, the evil Force-users that had pushed her through a portal and trapped her on Tatooine.

The ship flew low above the pair, and then the cloaked man turned and strode out of the cockpit, Anakin following close on his heels. The door slid open to reveal Qui-Gon lying on the floor, leaning back on his elbows and trying to catch his breath.

Anakin broke into a run. "Are you alright?" He asked, dropping to his knees beside Qui-Gon. He tried to use the Force to sense for injuries the way Sienna could, but it didn't work.

"I think so," The Jedi replied, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

The cloaked man crouched beside Qui-Gon as well. "What was it?" He asked.

Anakin glanced at him quickly, having nearly forgotten his existence in his panic over Qui-Gon, and then looked back at the Jedi.

"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon said between gasping breaths, "But it was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is, it was after the Queen."

"What are we gonna do about it?" Anakin asked, wide eyed and worried.

Qui-Gon exhaled, then looked back at Anakin. "We should be patient," he said. Then, lifting a hand and entirely changing the subject, "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Anakin turned to the cloaked man and leaned up on his knees, extending his hand. "Hi," he said.

The cloaked man accepted the handshake and offered a tight smile and a nod.

Anakin continued shaking his hand. "You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you." He gave a few more shakes and a wide smile, and then finally let the other have his hand back.

Obi-Wan's brow raised at the boy's sudden enthusiasm, and an amused smile tugged at his lips. He glanced at Qui-Gon, who looked equally amused.

 _At least this pathetic life-form has manners,_ Obi-Wan sent across the training bond.

Qui-Gon huffed a half-laugh at that. _Don't let your ego grow too much in the face of his awe_.

_Of course not, Master._

* * *

Sienna focused on keeping her breathing even and her mind calm. In... out... in... out... She knew how to deal with knife wounds. She'd taken care of plenty of them throughout her life. Usually she was helping someone else, but it couldn't be that hard to keep herself alive, right? Right?

She pressed slightly trembling hands around the sides of the blade, trying to keep it stable. That was most important right now. Keep the knife stable so it didn't do any additional damage and so that it kept the wound from bleeding too much. If she lost too much blood, she'd go into hypovolemic shock. Based on where she'd been stabbed, she would make it about forty minutes before that happened. But there would be other symptoms that showed up first - confusion, for example, and she needed to stay alert.

Sienna knew she couldn't move. Her speeder was trashed and she'd no doubt be dead before she could walk all the way back to the city. Her only choice was to lie here, and hope that someone friendly came upon her in time to help.

The chances of that were slim.

The Padawan closed her eyes, sinking into the Force, trying to preserve energy and slow her heart rate. The Force whispered around her, trying to offer some comfort. She reached out for it, seeking some kind of guidance. _What do I do?_

The tiny thread at the corner of her mind lit up, the Force moving towards it like air in a cave leading a trapped miner to a way out.

Anakin.

Sienna had no idea where he was right now. Probably at home, or playing with his friends. Surely, he was too far to find help.

But the Force nudged her in that direction again, wrapping the thread in an insistent glow.

 _Ok_ , she thought, _I'll try_.

She sunk a bit deeper into the Force, then let her consciousness move closer to the thread. She tugged on it, gently but urgently. _Anakin!_

* * *

Still kneeling beside Qui-Gon, Anakin stiffened. "Stop the ship!" He cried, scrambling to his feet.

"Anakin!" Qui-Gon lunged forward and snatched the boy's sleeve before he could run off. "What's wrong?"

Anakin twisted out of Qui-Gon's loose hold, his panic pouring into the Force. "It's Sienna she's in trouble, we have to help her!"

"How do you know?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I can feel it! Stop the ship!" Anakin was dashing for the cockpit now. He burst through the doors, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hot on his heels.

"Anakin!" Qui-Gon scolded again.

"There! Look!" Anakin pointed out the view screen. Though the ship had risen much higher than it had been a minute ago, they could all barely make out a smudge of color against the pale sand.

"Sir?" The pilot asked.

"Land the ship," Qui-Gon instructed, "but be ready to take off immediately."

He turned and headed back out to the entryway. Anakin followed, but Qui-Gon held out an arm to stop him. "Stay here with Obi-Wan. I'll get your friend."

"No! If you're going, I'm coming too!"

"Anakin-"

"I'll get her," Obi-Wan interrupted, "You and Anakin can _both_ stay here."

Qui-Gon glanced at his Padawan. Obi-Wan was giving him a _look_ , and Qui-Gon sighed and gave him a sharp nod.

Anakin wasn't done protesting. "But-"

Obi-Wan was already out the door though, dashing across the sand before the cruiser had even touched down, and Qui-Gon grabbed Anakin's arm before the boy could follow.

Obi-Wan skidded to a stop and dropped down to a crouch beside the young women. She appeared unconscious, and there was a growing red stain on her shirt, stemming from the knife buried in her abdomen.

Obi-Wan sucked in a breath when he saw it. "Kriff," he muttered. It looked bad.

"My thoughts exactly."

Obi-Wan startled, whipping his head to the side. The person's eyes had fluttered open, squinting at Obi-Wan in the sun. She offered a small smile that ended up looking more like a grimace.

"I need to get you back to the ship so we can get that knife out," Obi-Wan said.

"Sounds like a good idea," she agreed.

Obi-Wan lifted a hand just above her stomach and stretched out his senses, letting the Force show him the exact positioning of the knife. It didn't look precariously close to anything vital, at least not close enough that it would sever something while he carried her. "Alright, I'm going to carry you to the cruiser.

Sienna offered another attempt at a smile. "Thanks pal."

And then she passed out.

Obi-Wan cursed a second time and promptly scooped the woman into his arms. The wound was still steadily bleeding, and the fact that she was no longer conscious was not a good sign. Calling on the Force for speed he ran back to the ship, ignoring Anakin's panicked cry and heading straight for the medbay.

"She's lost a lot of blood," he informed the med droid, which started hooking up various monitors.

Since this was the Queen's transport, the medbay was fairly sophisticated. It needed to be able to provide emergency services if the Queen was attacked. But it was still just a ship's medbay, not a hospital, and what Sienna needed was a hospital.

After making sure that the med-droid had everything under control as best it could, Obi-Wan left the medbay and moved swiftly back to the cockpit. "How long until we reach Coruscant?" he asked.

"We're about to jump to hyperspace now," the pilot said, "ETA six days."

"That's too long," Obi-Wan muttered, "she won't make it."

"Rodia is nearby," Qui-Gon said, appearing just behind Obi-Wan, "And it is part of the Republic. We'll stop there."

"But Her Majesty-"

"Senator Farr is an old friend of mine," Queen Amidala interrupted. She too had appeared in the doorway. "We will be welcomed and safe on Rodia."

"But what of our people?" The pilot protested. "They're dying at the hands of the Trade Federation! We've wasted enough time already."

Sabé glanced at Padmé, who stood to the side holding the hand of a frantic Anakin.

"We have to stop! We can't let Sienna die!" Anakin cried. "She's my friend, we have to help her!"

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," Qui-Gon said softly.

Anakin burst into tears and Padmé sent Qui-Gon a sharp look. She then glanced back at Sabé and gave a small nod.

"We will stop on Rodia," Sabé stated, "Just long enough to bring the girl to a medical facility, and then we will resume our mission."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The pilot punched in the coordinates for Rodia, and then the cruiser leapt into the blue of hyperspace.

Padmé led a still crying Anakin away to a lounge, the Queen returned to her quarters, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made their way back to the medbay.

"Are we really going to just leave her there on Rodia?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm afraid we must," Qui-Gon said. "Our mission is to protect the Queen and ensure her safe arrival on Coruscant so she can plead her case to the senate. Her people need her. We don't have time to spend a few days on Rodia."

"I suppose you're right."

They stepped inside the medbay and took in the sight before them. The droid had spread bacta on Sienna's face and hands where they were sunburned and wrapped a bandage around her torso. Monitors tracked her vitals, and an IV fed a blood transfusion into her arm. Her armor and vest were piled on a chair in the corner of the room.

"So this is the supposed Padawan," Obi-Wan said after a moment.

"Indeed. This is Sienna Retrograde."

"Did you find out who she is?" Obi-Wan inquired. "I've never seen her before. I thought perhaps even if I didn't recall the name I would recognize her face from one of my classes, but I do not."

Qui-Gon crossed his arms under his poncho and leaned against the doorway. "I spoke with her last night. She says she is a Padawan of a different Jedi Order, one which exists in another galaxy."

Obi-Wan turned to him in surprise. "But there is no other Order, is there?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "I don't know. I am inclined to believe her, as strange as her story sounds. I sensed nothing but truth in her words."

"If there is another Order, why have we never heard of it?"

"I don't know, Obi-Wan. She spoke of many strange things. I plan to spend some time in the archives if we have a spare moment once we arrive back on Coruscant."

Obi-Wan nodded, accepting that he would get no further answers from his Master. "She feels strange in the Force."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "She does indeed. That is one of the first things I noticed when I met her."

"And what of the other Force-user? I know you did not wish to say anything more in front of Anakin, but I can sense that it troubles you. Who was he?"

"I don't know for sure, but I have my suspicions. He was trained in the Jedi arts, skilled with a lightsaber and knowledgeable in the Forms. That leads me to believe he was a Sith Lord."

"A Sith?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised and disturbed.

"Indeed."

"What would a Sith be doing out here on Tatooine? What was he after?"

"Perhaps he was seeking to destroy the Queen. Perhaps he was there for other reasons. Either way, his presence is troubling."

Obi-Wan hummed. Troubling indeed. "Do you think he is the one who stabbed Sienna?"

"I do not think it is a coincidence that we found Sienna in this condition. But it also complicates the situation. Sienna has no real affiliation with the Queen, nor with the Jedi Order, so why attack her?"

"Perhaps she stumbled upon or attacked him?"

"Perhaps, but that creates its own list of questions."

"Such as why he would leave her alive when it would have been easy to kill her after stabbing her."

"Precisely. We have a very many questions and no answers to any of them. And I'm afraid we won't find any answers at the moment. As I said to Anakin, we should be patient." He pushed away from the door and turned to fully face Obi-Wan, glancing over the latter's clothes. "You should clean up, my young Padawan."

Obi-Wan looked down and realized he had some small bloodstains on the front of his tunic and tabbards from where he had held Sienna against him while he brought her to the cruiser. "I suppose I should."

"I am going to go debrief the Queen on our adventures thus far. Once you are cleaned up, come find me. We should be arriving on Rodia shortly."

Obi-Wan dipped his head in a gesture of respectful acknowledgement. "Yes, Master."


	6. Chapter 6

They entered Rodia's atmosphere just as Obi-Wan finished changing into fresh robes. He walked out into the entry area and found that Qui-Gon was already there, as were the Queen and a guard. Anakin stood off to the side, looking much calmer than he had twenty minutes prior. There weren't even any tear-tracks on his cheeks. Obi-Wan suspected that Padmé had calmed him and gotten him cleaned up.

Obi-Wan moved to stand beside his Master, settling into the traditional place of a Padawan.

 _Why is the Queen herself here?_ Obi-Wan asked over their bond.

_She is good friends with the Senator. Though he is not presently on-planet, she is familiar with the Rodian people and wishes to arrange for Sienna's care. We have called ahead and will be met on the landing platform by medical personnel._

Obi-Wan sent back an impression of acknowledgement.

The cruiser touched down gently and the ramp was lowered. A couple of Rodians approached with a hover-gurney between them and were immediately ushered onto the ship, led to the medbay by one of the handmaidens.

"Queen Amidala," The Rodian who stayed behind greeted with a bow, "it is an honor."

"The honor is mine. I thank you for your willingness to give medical treatment to one of our crew."

"Of course. We would not deny someone help. I am Reego, the chief healer. Your friend will be well cared for."

"Thank you, Reego."

Those with the hover-gurney returned again a moment later, muttering in their native tongue and moving quickly. Despite their outward calm professionalism, Obi-Wan could sense a great deal of urgency in their Force-signatures. He sensed a spike of concern in Reego's Force-signature too when the healer caught sight of the unconscious Padawan. The group swept away towards the buildings without a farewell.

And so did Anakin, before Qui-Gon could even think to stop him.

"Anakin!" The Jedi had to resort to using the Force to freeze the boy in place. "Where do you think you're going?"

"With Sienna! I'm not leaving her here all by herself!"

"You will do exactly that," Qui-Gon responded. "She is in good hands."

"She's my friend, and I'm not leaving her!" He crossed his arms and set his face in a fierce scowl, the effect of which was softened by his young features. "Let me go, right now!"

Qui-Gon closed his eyes and inhaled very slowly, then exhaled.

Despite the circumstances, Obi-Wan found himself slightly amused by the way the boy was trying Qui-Gon's patience.

"Anakin, I am going to release you now. Will you promise me you won't run off?"

Anakin glared even harder and said nothing.

_"Anakin."_

"Fine. I promise I won't run, but I'm not coming back to the ship."

"Very well." Qui-Gon opened his eyes and lowered his hand, releasing his Force-hold. "You may stay here with your friend. Obi-Wan will stay with you."

Obi-Wan jolted, turning to stare at Qui-Gon. "What?!"

"You heard me." It was Qui-Gon who looked amused now, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You will remain on Rodia to watch over Anakin until Sienna has recovered enough to travel, and then the three of you will return to Coruscant."

"But Master," Obi-Wan sputtered, "I'm not a baby-sitter!"

"You are whatever the Force requires of you," Qui-Gon replied calmly.

Obi-Wan inwardly groaned, but he dipped his head and went to fetch his other spare tunics.

He returned only a minute later with a travel-pack in hand.

"You are the worst," he muttered to Qui-Gon as he walked past the other Jedi.

Qui-Gon gave him a fond pat on the shoulder. "I am aware."

"Can we go now?" Anakin asked impatiently.

Obi-Wan shot Qui-Gon another long-suffering look and descended the ramp. He turned to face the cruiser as the ramp was raised.

"May the Force be with you," Qui-Gon called cheerfully.

And then the ramp closed and the cruiser rose up out of sight.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Well, come on then," he said to Anakin, "let's go find somewhere to wait for your friend."

* * *

Sienna awoke gradually, rising through the stages of sleep in slow motion, like bobbing up and down in a dark sea. She heard snippets of words, and someone asked a question, which she might have replied to, and then she had sunk again without even opening her eyes. This happened a few times, fading in and out, until finally her senses seemed to clear and she pried her eyes open.

She didn't recognize the ceiling above her, and her mind was still catching up, so instinct took over and she tried to bolt upright. Where was she? What had happened? Had she been captured, or kidnapped?

"Easy there," a hand rested on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into the pillows before she had even managed to sit up an inch. "You've just come out of surgery."

Surgery? What surgery? She blinked a few times, trying to get her brain to straighten itself out so she could think.

"Sienna!" A young voice shouted. She felt small hands in hers and a nova of a Force-presence filled her senses.

"Hey scamp," she greeted, the fog lifting as she turned her head to the side to smile at Anakin.

"You're ok!"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Anakin gaped at her. "You got _stabbed_! With a _knife_! In your _belly_!"

She huffed a laugh. "Not the first time I've been knifed, kiddo. Didn't stop me before."

"And we are glad it didn't stop you this time either," the first voice said.

Sienna tilted her head back and properly noticed the other person in the room. "Well well, if it isn't my handsome rescuer. Thanks for that."

"You have Anakin to thank, really. He knew you were in trouble."

"Oh yeah?" She glanced back at Anakin.

He bobbed his head. "Yeah, I felt it in the Force, I think. And, I thought I heard you call me."

Sienna smiled. "It worked then."

"What worked?" Obi-Wan asked.

"This," Sienna reached up with her free hand and tapped the side of her head. "The Force nudged me towards our bond. I didn't think it would work, I didn't think the bond was strong enough for us to communicate over a distance, but I guess it was."

Obi-Wan gave her a curious look. "You two have a training bond?"

Sienna shrugged. Or tried to, anyway, her movements were still rather sluggish. "It's a something bond, that's for sure. Dunno if it really counts as a training bond, it's not like Ani's my Padawan. But there are lots of kinds of bonds, like familial bonds."

"Well, I'm just glad it worked," Anakin said.

"Me too, kiddo." She tried to ruffle his hair, but her hand just kinda landed on his head and slid off again. Anakin giggled, and Sienna huffed. "Clearly, I'm on a lot of drugs. Don't do drugs, Ani."

He giggled again, and Obi-Wan smiled too.

"Where are we anyway?" Sienna asked, letting her gaze slide lazily across the room. "This doesn't look like Tatooine. Or Coruscant."

"We are on Rodia," Obi-Wan said. "We had to make an emergency stop here. You wouldn't have lasted all the way to Coruscant."

"They were gonna leave you here, all by yourself!" Anakin cried. He glared at Obi-Wan, as if the man was the one to blame.

Sienna noticed the tired look on Obi-Wan's face, and she suspected this was a conversation the two had had many times while she was unconscious. "Well, they did have a mission, Ani."

Anakin turned an incredulous look to her. "But you were hurt and they were just gonna leave you here! Alone!"

"Rodia is a safe planet. I'm sure I would have been fine, even alone. There are skilled healers to look after me. Sometimes, we have to make hard choices, and trust other people to look after our friends."

Anakin frowned, every aspect of his posture showing that he did not like that answer one bit. "But-"

"You remember when Kitster got sick?" Sienna interrupted.

Anakin nodded.

"And his mom had to leave him home, all by himself, because her master wouldn't let her stay with him?"

He nodded again.

"Do you think she wanted to leave him home alone?"

"No."

"Then why did she?"

"Because she had to," Anakin said reluctantly.

"Exactly. Sometimes, we have to make hard choices, and sometimes we have to leave people by themselves. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Anakin sighed, fiddling with Sienna's fingers on the hand he was still holding. "I understand."

"Good." Sienna gave his hand a squeeze and sent a thrum of warmth across their bond. "That aside, I'm glad you're here. You and-" she paused, turning her gaze to Obi-Wan again. "You know, I don't think we introduced ourselves"

"We didn't have a chance," he agreed. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Sienna Retrograde. I guess introductions are a little tricky when you're trying to avoid hypovolemic shock."

The man snorted. "Indeed."

"He didn't want to stay," Anakin said, the glare back in his eyes, "he only stayed because Mister Qui-Gon made him."

Obi-Wan turned beet red at the (truthful) accusation.

"Anakin," Sienna chided, "that was rude."

The boy grumbled. "It's true though."

"Doesn't matter. That was rude and unnecessary. I think you owe Obi-Wan an apology."

"But-"

"Ani."

"Fine. I'm sorry for being rude."

Obi-Wan dipped his head. "Thank you, Anakin. And I am sorry for giving the impression that I did not wish to stay."

Anakin didn't say anything, but Sienna sensed his mood lighten the slightest bit. She ruffled his hair again. "Good job. Now, why don't you go see if you can find some snacks for you and Obi-Wan."

"I'm not hungry. I wanna stay here with you."

"Your stomach is growling at me through the Force."

"That's not how the Force works."

"No? Then how come I know you haven't eaten anything the whole time I've been recovering?"

Anakin glared down at his stomach. "Tattle-tale," he whispered. He let go of Sienna's hand and hopped off the chair he had been seated on. "Don't go anywhere," he ordered Sienna.

She gave him a lazy salute. "Aye aye, doc."

Apparently satisfied, the boy left the room.

Sienna watched the door slide shut with a smile. "Brat," she said fondly.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Obi-Wan commented.

Sienna laughed. "He'll warm up to you, don't worry. You two got off on the wrong foot is all."

"Hmm. Well, he wasn't wrong. I wasn't happy when Qui-Gon told me to stay. And apparently I made it obvious. I am sorry about that."

Sienna waved away the apology. "Doesn't matter to me whether you wanted to stay or were dragged by a bantha. I literally do not care. And you probably weren't that obvious, Anakin's just really perceptive. Well, sometimes. Other times he's completely oblivious, or caught up in his own world, but we all do that sometimes."

"Hmm."

They lapsed into silence for a minute or two. Sienna took some time to look around the room again and to stretch out in the Force. She could feel Anakin walking away down the hall, and she could feel patients in other rooms. All seemed to be well. She had told Anakin that Rodia was a safe planet, but truthfully she wasn't completely sure what the state of Rodia was in this time period. Her claim had been made mostly based on the fact that Qui-Gon had seen fit to leave her and Anakin and Obi-Wan here, and she didn't think that he would have done so if it wasn't at least mostly safe.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're Jinn's Padawan," Sienna said, striking up conversation again. She had noticed the long braid resting against Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"Yes, I am." Obi-Wan agreed. "What about you?"

"A long, complicated story is what I am," she said with a snort. "How much did Jinn tell you?"

"Not much. Only that you claim to be from another Jedi Order, in a different galaxy."

"Ah, a skeptic like your Master."

Obi-Wan turned a little pink again. "I mean no offense."

"None taken. Honestly, you two are taking it a lot better than I did when I first heard of it. I'm from the Cosmic Order. It's a small group. Home base is the planet Felidae. You wouldn't have heard of it, it's in another galaxy, like Jinn told you."

There were many things about that response that sparked questions in Obi-Wan's mind. He decided to start with the most pressing. "What are you doing all the way in ours then?"

"Regretting my life choices and cursing a moment of stupidity."

Obi-Wan laughed at that. "Sounds like fun."

"Mm. Tons. I fell through a Force-portal and I've been stuck on Tatooine for the past year."

"A Force-portal?"

"Yeah. Basically a doorway across space. I guess they're rare here?"

Obi-Wan tilted his head and glanced off to the side, trying to remember if he had ever learned about Force-portals. "I don't think I have ever heard of one, actually."

"Oh wow. That rare huh?"

"Apparently."

"Alright, hmm." Sienna took a moment to think of the best way to describe a portal. "Like I said, a portal is a doorway. They come in a few forms. Sometimes they're visible, and they look almost like a large round window where you can see through to the other side. The fancy ones have edges that are all colorful like a nebula. Or, if you're in one of the empty dimensions between portals, the edges have a border of cool designs. Kind of like the carvings around a fancy mirror. The other kind of portal is the invisible kind. You only know it's there because of the way the Force feels. With those ones, to an observer it looks like you just take a step and disappear into thin air. To the person going through the portal it feels kinda similar, except you take a step and suddenly you're in an entirely different place. Does that make sense?"

Obi-Wan nodded, and hummed an affirmative.

"The one I fell through was the invisible kind. Although, I should've sensed it, so I'm not totally sure what's up with that. But basically I was standing in front of a rock and got Force-pushed and then whoops, I was lying in a desert."

"You couldn't just walk back through?"

"Nope. They disappear sometimes. Or sometimes they're single-use portals. Honestly it's all pretty complicated, I only understand half the logic of it. It usually boils down to trusting and following the Force. Thinking too hard just gives you a headache."

Obi-Wan absorbed that information and mulled it over, trying to visualize what Sienna had described and make sense of it. "And your Order, you deal with these how often?"

"Um, pretty much daily."

Obi-Wan stared at her. " _Daily_?"

"Yep. I mean, our home on the planet is only accessible by portal, so."

The man frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I think Master Azimuth calls it a pocket dimension? Or something similar at least. The only way to get to or from our territory is via portal."

"You mean your Temple, or is it a whole planet?"

"Neither. Our city, and the surrounding land."

"But how does that work? Does the land just end? Are there walls?"

"I mean, it's kind of a large island basically, and you can only swim so far before the Force just kinda… stops you I guess?" Sienna did some vague hand gestures to try and illustrate her point.

Obi-Wan ran a hand over his short hair. "That is all very strange."

"Yeah, we usually just try to avoid having to talk about our home. It's crazy."

Obi-Wan laughed. "Crazy enough that I don't think anyone would want to make it up though."

"So you believe me? You aren't gonna ask for like, proof or anything?"

"I wouldn't know where to even begin asking you to prove anything. I take it you can't exactly summon portals on a whim."

Sienna snorted. "Nope."

The door slid open just then and Anakin padded into the room with snacks and a healer. He offered Obi-Wan a fruit that the latter only vaguely recognized, but which he accepted anyway with a word of thanks. The healer checked how Sienna was feeling and spoke with her briefly about her injuries (though a child-friendly version, considering Anakin was in the room) before leaving the three alone once more with a promise to have a more in-depth discussion with Sienna later.

"So, what's our game plan?" Sienna asked Obi-Wan once the healer had left. Anakin was perched on the side of the bed, next to Sienna's knees, munching on his snacks.

"We are to return to Coruscant once you are healthy enough to travel. I believe Qui-Gon would like both you and Anakin to meet with the Council."

Sienna hummed. "I figured. That'll probably break a couple of my Order's intergalactic travel rules, but whatever."

"How so?"

"There's a reason none of you knew we existed. We're supposed to keep the Order a secret."

"Why? Is it just because of how ridiculously complicated your circumstances are?"

Sienna's lips twitched in amusement. "That, and also something to do with keeping the space-time continuum intact, not accidentally ripping a hole in the fabric of existence, that sort of thing."

Obi-Wan blinked at her.

"It'll probably be fine."

"Ripping a-"

"Don't worry about it."

"The fabric of _existence_?"

"You know, I probably shouldn't even have said that."

"What does that even _mean_?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Obi-Wan looked like he was _definitely_ going to worry about it.

* * *

Padmé played the recording of Sio Bibble's message for what felt like the hundredth time. Padawan Kenobi had advised Sabé not to answer, and Master Jinn had advised the same, claiming it was a trap to find out the Queen's location. It made sense, and Padmé knew that to reveal her location would be to put the entire mission in jeopardy, but she hated sitting around doing nothing.

The trip from Tatooine to Coruscant would take six days. After that, it would be an additional six days back to Naboo from Coruscant, plus however long it took for the Senate to figure things out in between. The Nubian people were facing at least two weeks of suffering at the hands of the Trade Federation, and Padmé couldn't do anything to help them.

With a frustrated sigh, Padmé turned off the comm and pulled out a datapad to begin drafting her plea to the Senate. She would have only one opportunity to make her case, and she needed to make sure she was firm and convincing. She typed up a quick message to Senator Palpatine, informing him of her imminent arrival, as well as one to Chancellor Valorum. The man was a friend of Naboo, and she had confidence that he would support her cause.

She had just pressed 'send' when someone slid into a seat across from her. Padmé glanced up and was met with a kind smile from Qui-Gon, who had a mug of tea in hand. She gave a polite nod, powering off the datapad and setting it aside.

"It seems everything has worked out quite well," Qui-Gon commented. "We will soon be on Coruscant, with only a day and a half delay."

Padmé leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "I still think your plan was unnecessarily risky. And the Queen was not entirely pleased either."

"It is the unfortunate reality that not everyone will be entirely pleased with us at all times," Qui-Gon said. "I let go of that childish goal long ago."

Padmé frowned. "And do you think it is _childish_ for those tasked with protecting their people to be unwilling to _gamble_ with their futures?"

"The greater the risk, the greater the potential reward."

"And the greater the potential downfall," Padmé retorted. "In your own words, 'when you gamble, eventually you must lose.'"

"It was not wholly a gamble. The Force was with us."

"I do not think it wise to risk _my_ planet based on _your_ religion."

"The Force is much more than a religion, my young friend," Qui-Gon said. "You know this to be true. If it weren't for the Force, Anakin would not have won that race."

"Perhaps. But it was still wrong to gamble with Naboo without seeking the Queen's approval."

"I think if the Queen truly disapproved of my actions, she would have done more to stop me."

Padmé furrowed her brow. "You didn't inform her of the extent of your plan. You said, and I quote, 'the Queen does not need to know.'"

"And yet you were fully capable of informing her," Qui-Gon commented. "You were her spy on this mission, sent out because the Queen was 'curious about the planet.' What were you there for if not to keep the Queen informed?"

Padmé stared at him.

Qui-Gon continued. "And seeing as I received no message from Her Majesty with orders to change my plan in any way, I will assume that either the Queen did not have an issue with my plan, or _you_ did not keep her in the loop."

Padmé was at a loss. How had Qui-Gon somehow managed to make this her fault? He was technically right. She hadn't liked the plan, but she also hadn't tried to stop him. So yes, she had allowed the Jedi to gamble with her people in order to save them. It had been his plan, but she had gone along with it. Had it gone poorly, she would have been just as much at fault as he would have been, perhaps more so.

Qui-Gon seemed to sense his victory in this conversation. He had a smug twinkle in his eye as he took a sip of his tea, a look Padmé met with a glare.

"I am off to meditate," the Jedi announced, standing from the booth. "Enjoy your evening, my young friend." He inclined his head, and then strolled away.

Padmé continued to glare at his retreating back.

Blasted Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to the Star Wars franchise for having absolutely NO hyperspace continuity. I did hours of research, only to end up having to find my own measure to estimate hyperspace travel times because the movies just aren't consistent. Which then forced me to rearrange many of the scenes in the coming chapters and scrap some of my plans. Thanks a lot, Lucasfilms.
> 
> A quick google had come up with the 7 hour travel time from Tatooine to Coruscant that I mentioned in the last chapter, but when I did some more digging I couldn't find a good source for that, and frankly it just made no sense given how far apart Tatooine and Coruscant are. I have changed it to 6 days. This is based on what appears to be a widely accepted travel times estimation method for Star Wars rpgs. On a standard map of the Star Wars galaxy that has a grid, one square equals one day of hyperspace travel with a good hyperdrive. I am not nerdy enough to get into the nitty-gritty of hyperdrive qualities, so I am just going to use that standard time for everything.
> 
> There's a big difference between 7 hours and 6 days, which was good news for some plot points and less good for others. One of the side effects is that our trio here will be spending much more time together than I expected, and that this fic will end up being longer overall than I had anticipated. One of the more annoying side effects is that I had three chapters written (including this one) that I had to significantly edit in order for the timing to make sense. Oh well. Hopefully it will still flow nicely.
> 
> In happier news, I currently have up through half of chapter 10 written, which is by far the most prepared I have ever been with a multi-chapter fic. *pats self on back*


	7. Chapter 7

Obi-Wan discovered that Anakin was far more tolerable when the boy was well rested and had a full stomach.

After the brief visit with Sienna, the pair had gone to find their hotel room and call it a night. Anakin had fallen asleep almost immediately (no surprise there, it had been a long day) while Obi-Wan made some notes for his report for the Jedi Council, before retiring to bed himself. In the morning, after a brief episode of confusion and anxiety at waking in a new environment, Anakin had insisted that they go visit Sienna again. He seemed to have forgotten how mad he had been at Obi-Wan the day before, instead buzzing energetically around the man and chattering about how this was the first time ever that he didn't have to go to Watto's shop.

Obi-Wan half-listened, humming at the appropriate moments while he checked in with the hospital staff. He got permission for him and Anakin to visit, and also arranged for a light breakfast for the two of them.

Twenty minutes later found them eating off of trays while a nurse checked Sienna's vitals. Anakin ate his breakfast quickly, scarfing it down as if someone might take it away from him, while simultaneously managing to look absolutely awed with every bite.

"Was dis wa cawed?" He asked through a mouthful of food.

"That is a Nilluk strip," a nurse told him.

"Wizard." The boy bit off another sizable chunk, his Force-signature glowing.

Obi-Wan found the scene somewhat entertaining, in that Anakin found everything so amazing, but also heartbreaking. Qui-Gon had, of course, explained to Obi-Wan that Shmi and Anakin were slaves, back when the Jedi had discussed plans for getting a hyperdrive. While the Padawan had not seen the conditions they lived in, he could see the evidence now in the way that Anakin hoarded the food close to himself, keeping it nestled in his lap where it could be easily defended. He had tucked a small piece of fruit and a wrapped ration bar into his pockets to save, probably out of habit of storing away morsels in case there wasn't anything to eat later. Obi-Wan ate his own Nilluk much more slowly and neatly, nibbling on the end and savoring the flavors. Hopefully, with time, Anakin would learn that he could enjoy his food and eat it as quick or slow as he pleased.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Sienna mumbled. Her eyes were drifting closed again, and she seemed to be fighting a losing battle of staying awake.

Obi-Wan chewed and swallowed the last bite of his Nilluk and stood up from his chair. "Come, Anakin, let's let Sienna rest."

Anakin turned to glance at Sienna.

She offered a half smile, but her eyes were already shut. "Go have fun exploring."

Anakin patted her knee. "Have a good sleep!" He said cheerfully. He hopped off the bed and padded over to Obi-Wan, who opened the door and gestured for Anakin to walk through.

"Can we go explore outside the hospital?" Anakin asked.

"Sure."

"Yippee!"

Obi-Wan paused to ask a nurse for directions, and then the pair set off.

Anakin gaped at just about everything. As soon as they stepped outside the building he dropped to his hands and knees, pressing his nose to the grates that served as a walkway and peering down into the depths of the water below.

"I can't believe there's this much water in the whole universe!" He exclaimed. "And look, there's some kind of creature down there. Look!" He waved his hand, beckoning enthusiastically for Obi-Wan to come see.

Obi-Wan squatted down. "Yes, I see it."

"How does it breathe under there?"

"It has gills, most likely."

"What are gills?"

"Gills are a breathing apparatus. The animal pumps water over the gills, and the gills gather oxygen from the water."

"Wow. So it never comes up into the air?"

"It might, or it might not. Some creatures spend their entire lives solely under the water. Others can come up on land for a short time, but must return to the water. And still others live in the water but come up to the surface of the water to breathe."

"Wow." Anakin pressed his face further against the grate. "Hi there, animal!"

Obi-Wan's lips quirked up in a smile.

The sea slug swam away, and Anakin clambered to his feet again. "Let's see if we can find more!"

"Alright." Obi-Wan pushed up from his crouch and followed Anakin across the courtyard.

All traces of yesterday's crankiness were gone as the boy hunted for more slugs. In the Force he shone bright with energy and curiosity, a star in the midst of the Force-null Rodians. Obi-Wan suspected that even if he lost sight of Anakin in a crowd, he would be able to find him in a matter of seconds simply by following his blazing comet trail in the Force.

"Here's another!" Anakin shouted, dropping to his knees again.

"How do you know it's not the same one?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Cuz it feels different. Can't you feel it?"

"I can, yes."

"Sienna taught me that every person is different in the Force. Like fingerprints." Anakin wiggled his fingers to illustrate his point. "Did you know that?"

"I did. They're called Force-signatures, or life-signatures. What do you feel?"

"Well, this animal feels soft and sleepy. The first one was hungry." Anakin glanced up at Obi-Wan. "What do they eat?"

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan said, "Why don't we ask a local?"

Anakin nodded and stood back up.

Obi-Wan glanced around and spotted a Rodian sitting on a bench, reading some kind of datapad.

"Excuse me," Obi-Wan said as he approached, Anakin trailing close behind.

The Rodian looked up curiously. "Can I help you?"

"My young friend is wondering about the sea creatures that swim below the city."

"Ah, the Kwazel Maw? The sea slugs?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"They're very interesting creatures. What would you like to know?"

Obi-Wan took a small step to the side to reveal Anakin, who was certainly not hiding behind the Padawan. "Go on, Ani. Ask your question."

"Um," Anakin twisted his hands together nervously. "I was wondering, what do they eat?"

The Rodian gave a kind smile. "Large fish and other aquatic creatures. Fish as big as you, even."

Anakin's eyes widened. "Wow, there are fish as big as _me_?"

The Rodian chuckled. "Bigger, even."

"Wow."

The Rodian chuckled again, and put his datapad aside. "Never been to Rodia before, huh?"

Anakin shook his head. "I've never been anywhere except Tatooine. There's nothing interesting on Tatooine. It's all sand."

"Oh, you'll want to see the can-cells then. Have you ever heard of a can-cell?"

Another shake.

"They're large flying insects. Big enough to ride, if you can catch one. You can see them from the edge of the city, where the swamps start."

Anakin tilted his head back to look up at Obi-Wan, his nervousness fading into excitement again. "Can we go look for them?"

Ob-Wan smiled down at him. "Sure." Then, to the Rodian, "Thank you for your time."

"No problem. Have fun, I hope you find some can-cells."

Anakin gave a little wave, and the Rodian waved back, and then Anakin and Obi-Wan set off again.

As they reached the edge of the courtyard and started to enter a busier part of the city, Obi-Wan felt a small hand in his. He was almost startled by the touch, but when he glanced down he saw that it was just Anakin. The boy was looking around at all the buildings and people with the same wide-eyed fascination as he had looked at everything so far, but he stuck close to Obi-Wan's side, clearly anxious in the strange city. Obi-Wan didn't blame him. Though he himself had long ago grown used to visiting new places, he imagined it must be a lot to take in for someone used to just seeing the same pale buildings and desert every day for nine years.

"Have you ever left Mos Espa?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head. "Nope. Not ever. Well, except for when I was a baby, before Watto won me and my mom from Gardulla the Hutt. But I don't really remember that."

Obi-Wan hummed. "You must know the city very well then."

"Oh yeah. I know all the streets, and all the people. There's Jira, she sells pallies, and Kitster, he's my best friend, and…"

Anakin chattered away about his home. He told Obi-Wan all about his friends and neighbors, and about which shop owners were nice and would sneak sweets to the kids, and which ones were mean and would hit you if you bumped into them on accident. He talked about the bounty hunters and pilots who would come into Watto's shop. He talked about Watto himself, and the shop, and all the things he had built or fixed. He told Obi-Wan about C-3PO, and about his podracer, which led to a dramatic retelling of the Bunta Eve Classic he had won. Anakin took his hand back for that, gesturing wildly and mimicking crashes and explosions with enthusiastic motions.

"And then BOOM-" he flung his arms wide, fingers outstretched, and accidentally knocked someone's purse off their shoulder.

"Oops, sorry." Anakin shrunk closer to Obi-Wan when the person said something angry in Rodian. "Well, anyway, Sebulba's racer exploded, and I won, and then Mister Qui-Gon picked me up on his shoulders and everybody cheered."

"That sounds very exciting," Obi-Wan said.

"It was! And I won sooo much money, and Mister Qui-Gon bought the parts for your ship, but there was still money left! And I gave it to my mom, she said she's gonna put it in a box to save so she can be free. She was saving money in the box my whole life and I didn't even know! It was gonna be for me, but then Mister Qui-Gon convinced Watto to let me come with him and be free. But he said Watto wouldn't let mom be free too. Stupid Watto." Anakin frowned and kicked at a pebble on the ground. This part of the city didn't have grates, it had regular streets instead. "But at least she promised that she'll be free soon and then she'll come visit me when I'm a Jedi. Mister Qui-Gon said I can be a Jedi. And when I'm a Jedi, I'll go back to Tatooine and free all the slaves. Slavery is the worst thing in the whole wide world."

Obi-Wan hummed. He could sense a lot of emotions swirling around the boy- sadness, anger, anxiety, excitement, determination. It was all a whirlwind, changing with every thought that popped into Anakin's mind and out his mouth. But there was a steady undercurrent of hope and excitement about the future.

Obi-Wan wondered what the Council would make of the boy. They would probably say he was too old. After all, he was nine, a whole five years older than the oldest children brought to the Temple. He'd never be able to catch up with all the learning he had missed, not in time to become a Padawan before the cutoff. Although, Sienna had taught him some things apparently, so maybe he wasn't that far behind. The Council would probably test his skills and knowledge. They wouldn't be happy that someone had trained a non-Jedi in Jedi ways, but they also probably wouldn't want a half-trained kid out and about in the galaxy for someone else to scoop up for nefarious purposes, so that might give him a better chance of being accepted into the Order.

All in all, Obi-Wan gave it a 50/50 shot. Qui-Gon really shouldn't have promised the kid that he would be a Jedi. Even initiates already in the Order weren't guaranteed to become Knights. Obi-Wan himself had been shipped off to the Agri-corps, destined for life as a farmer, and it was pure luck (well, probably the Force, and maybe some meddling from Yoda) that he and Qui-Gon ended up having to work together.

"What about you?"

"Hmm?" Obi-Wan realized that he hadn't been paying any attention to whatever Anakin had been chattering about, and now the boy was looking up at him expectantly.

"I said, do your parents ever visit you?"

Obi-Wan blinked. "Um, I actually don't know my parents. I was brought to the Jedi Temple when I was very young."

"Oh," Anakin said. "Well, that's ok. Plenty of people don't have parents." He smiled up at Obi-Wan and patted his hand comfortingly.

Obi-Wan stared at the boy for a second. That was a rather sad thing to say. But he supposed that in the Outer Rim, orphans were probably commonplace, and it was certainly a sad reality that many enslaved children were separated from their parents. "I suppose so."

It was nearing lunchtime by that point, so Obi-Wan paused at a street vendor to get something to eat.

"What would you like, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

The boy stared at the menu with wide eyes. "Um, what are they?"

The very patient street vendor explained the different food items and their flavors. Anakin chose some meat strips, and Obi-Wan selected something that he hoped would give him a good amount of energy. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

They ate on a bench, then set out towards the edge of the city once more.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Obi-Wan choked on air at that question. "What?"

"Well, you're like, super old, right?" Anakin said. "Old enough to have a girlfriend?"

"I'm twenty-five," Obi-Wan said indignantly. He was not old. Heck, Qui-Gon still called him 'young padawan,' despite Obi-Wan's protests that he was a grown man, not a teenager.

"Wow. That's pretty old," Anakin said. "Even Sienna isn't that old."

"I assure you, I am far from being old."

Anakin giggled. "You're an old man."

"I am not," Obi-Wan said.

"Uh huh! You're oldddddddd," Anakin sang. "Old old old. Old man Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan sighed. This was not a battle he could see himself winning. "Fine. I'm old. I guess twenty-five _is_ a lot older than nine."

"Yup," Anakin said, popping the 'p.' "So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. Jedi normally don't have girlfriends."

"Why not?"

"Attachments are forbidden."

"What does that mean?"

Obi-Wan tried to think of the best way to explain it to a nine year-old who hadn't grown up with the concept of 'attachments.' "Well, being a Jedi is hard. Sometimes you have to make very hard choices. Like, say someone is in trouble, but if you save them it means a hundred other people die. You have to do what is best for the larger group. But if you were attached to that one person, you might let the hundred people die to save the one. Jedi are expected to save the larger group. So, we aren't supposed to get attached to one person like that."

"Oh," Anakin said, appearing to think this over. "Well, I'm going to marry Padmé someday."

Apparently that lesson on attachments had gone in one ear and out the other, but Obi-Wan decided that was not his problem and not his responsibility. "Oh yeah?" He asked instead.

"Yup."

"What makes you say that?"

"Padmé is the most nicest and prettiest girl I've ever met in my whole life!"

Obi-Wan huffed a laugh. "I see."

They reached the edge of the city and Anakin stopped in his tracks, jaw dropping at the sight of the swamp ahead of them. "Wow! Look at all those trees! They're everywhere. And the water! I can't believe there's so much. Is the whole planet covered in water and trees?"

"Pretty much. It is a swamp planet."

"Wizard," Anakin breathed. He dashed forward the last few paces, coming to a stop at a guardrail. He leaned against it, stretching as close as he could to the vast swamp that stretched on for miles.

Obi-Wan folded his hands in the sleeves of his cloak, smiling as he watched the boy, and then looked out at the landscape too. It was far from the prettiest planet he had ever seen, but something about Anakin's awe made him look at it a little more closely himself. Anakin looked at everything with such wonder, gaping at things that Obi-Wan normally didn't spare a second glance. It made him wonder about all the things he had grown accustomed to and took for granted. How much beauty did he miss on a day to day basis?

 _"Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is,"_ Yoda often said. Standing here, Obi-Wan thought that he could see what the little green Master meant.

A burst of color filled their view. Beating wings stirred up a breeze, blowing Anakin's hair and rustling Obi-Wan's robes as a can-cell flew up past the edge of the city platform. It hovered there for a moment, then buzzed away across the swamp.

Somehow, Anakin's eyes grew even wider as he watched it. "Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan, did you see that? Look! It's a can-cell! Look!"

"I see it," Obi-Wan said. "They're neat, aren't they?"

"Super neat!" Anakin agreed. "And look, there's another down there. It's flying this way."

Obi-Wan moved closer to the guardrail and peered down. Sure enough, another bright red insect was hovering not even twenty feet below.

The Force rang with a warning, and Obi-Wan looked up just in time to see Anakin climb up on the rail and jump off the edge.

"ANAKIN!"

Obi-Wan flung out a panicked hand, gathering the Force to snatch the boy before he fell to his death, but then the can-cell rose up, and there was Anakin sitting on its back, laughing like a mad man.

Obi-Wan released a breath. Adrenaline coursed through his system, setting his nerves tingling, and he took a few more breaths to slow his racing heartbeat. "Anakin _get off of there_."

"Yippee! Look Obi-Wan, I'm riding the can-cell!"

"I can see that, now hurry and jump to me before it-"

"Wooooaaa!" The can-cell turned and buzzed away across the swamp, Anakin clinging to its back.

"-flies away. _Kriff_."

Obi-Wan leapt up on the rail himself, scanned the area, and jumped onto the back of another can-cell. It spooked and tried to buck him off, but he reached out into the Force and calmed its mind. He steered it after the one Anakin was on, urging it to fly as fast as it could. He would only be able to influence its mind for a short time before it threw him off, and he needed to get to Anakin before that happened. Or worse, before Anakin fell off his own giant insect.

"What is he thinking?" Obi-Wan muttered, crouching low over the creature's neck. If Anakin died out here in the swamp, Obi-Wan had no doubt that both Qui-Gon and Sienna would kill him. He did not want to face his Master's ire, and he was not at all interested in finding out what Sienna was capable of when she was angry. Anyone who got stabbed and responded with an attitude of 'eh, no big deal' was someone not to be trifled with.

The red can-cell up ahead zipped and zagged over the swamp. Obi-Wan urged his own can-cell faster. He could hear Anakin whooping and laughing, probably having the time of his life, sparing no thought to the heart attack he was giving Obi-Wan.

And then the insect stopped short and Anakin went tumbling over its head with a yelp and a spark of fear.

Obi-Wan spurred his can-cell into a dive. He flung out a hand and called on the Force, using it to snatch Anakin and pull him closer.

"Ahhh!" Anakin slammed into Obi-Wan, who caught him, but in the process lost control of the can-cell. It bucked and they were both flung off. Obi-Wan didn't have time to use the Force to soften their fall, instead twisting so that he was underneath Anakin to protect him from the brunt of the landing.

"Ngh!" Obi-Wan grunted as he hit the ground and rolled, Anakin held securely in his arms. Thank Force the ground was spongey muck and not hard pavement, or else he might have broken his back.

Anakin wiggled out of the other man's grasp. He pushed himself up onto his feet, wiping muck off of his knees as Obi-Wan took a second to catch his breath.

"That was totally wizard!" Anakin exclaimed.

Obi-Wan groaned. "It was absolutely not wizard." The Padawan sat up, hands sinking into the mud as he pushed himself upright. He wrinkled his nose. Great. He was probably going to smell like a bantha's behind for a week. He hated mud.

Anakin, on the other hand, seemed fascinated by it. He scooped up a handful, squeezing it between his fingers and giggling at the squelching sound it made. "Eeeew, it sounds like a fart."

Obi-Wan peeled his cloak up out of the muck. It wasn't even his cloak, he'd dropped his at some point on Naboo, this was one of Qui-Gon's. He lifted it up, looked at the amount of grime on it, and dropped it again. A soaked, filthy cloak wasn't going to be of any use. Better to let the swamp eat it.

Sighing heavily, the Jedi turned to look in the direction of the city. Luckily the samp wasn't too dense, and he could clearly see the dome between the gaps in the trees. The unfortunate part was that the swamp was more water than it was land, and there was no way to get back without doing a great deal of swimming. And Anakin probably couldn't swim. Plus there were those sea slugs and who knew what else out here that might make a snack of a Jedi and a boy.

The fact that this wasn't even close to the worst or weirdest predicament Obi-Wan had ever found himself in said a lot about his life.

"Well Anakin, welcome to the swamp," the Padawan said drily. "We are about to become very acquainted with it."

"Wizard." Anakin squeezed the mud one more time, letting it fall through his fingers, and then wiped his hands on his pants. "So, what do we do now?"

"We start wading."

"Wading?"

"Yes, it means walking through water or mud. In our case, both."

"Cool!"

Obi-Wan sighed again. Of course this desert child would find the prospect of wading through filthy swamp water fun. "We need to be careful. It's impossible to tell how deep the water is until we are in it, and you don't know how to swim. It is absolutely essential that you hold onto me at all times. Hold my hand while we walk, hold onto my belt while I swim. Understood?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good." Obi-Wan untucked his tabbards and shed his outer robes, discarding them beside the ruined cloak. The extra layers would only hinder his movements, and it would be hard enough trying to swim and keep Anakin afloat. After a second of thought, he removed his boots too.

"Um, why are you taking off your clothes?" Anakin asked.

"It's harder to swim with them on, and I have a lot of swimming to do," Obi-Wan replied.

"Oh. Should I take off my boots too?"

"That's probably a good idea."

Anakin tugged off his boots and socks and squelched the muck with his toes.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took some deep breaths, letting the Force wash over him. When he felt centered and calm, he opened his eyes again. "Come on then, let's get moving. We don't want to be out here when it gets dark." He held out a hand, and Anakin took it, and then they set out through the swamp.

Anakin's enthusiasm for their new environment lasted for all of about thirty minutes. To his credit, he actually didn't do that much whining, but Obi-Wan could feel his souring mood in the Force. By the time an hour had passed, and then two, it was like walking next to a little storm cloud. Obi-Wan's own mood wasn't that much better, but he sunk into mission mode, focusing on making sure he and Anakin made it back to the city alive. He was starting to feel tired from dragging Anakin through the water and fighting through mud that tried to swallow his feet. Honestly, the only thing that had gotten him this far was the stamina he had built up from the past twenty-plus years he had been a Jedi. He found himself silently thanking Qui-Gon for those times when he made Obi-Wan run extra laps.

"I'm tired," Anakin grumbled, as Obi-Wan had to yank him free from a particularly deep and sticky mud puddle. "I don't like the swamp anymore."

"You and me both," Obi-Wan sighed. He set Anakin down on the most solid chunk of land he could find, and the boy promptly flopped on the ground.

Obi-Wan knew he should probably get Anakin up and keep moving, but instead he sat down beside him. A moment of rest would do them both good. It had been a very, very long day.

Movement in the water caught the Padawan's attention. He squinted at the murky swamp, an uneasy feeling creeping into his chest. So far, they hadn't encountered anything more than frogs and birds. But where there was prey, predators couldn't be far off. Obi-Wan slowed his breathing, stretching out his senses, scanning the area-

The Force shrieked in warning at the same moment that a large green beast lunged from the water. Obi-Wan's quick reflexes were the only thing that saved him from getting beheaded as sharp teeth snapped at the air where he had been only a fraction of a second ago. Anakin screamed and Obi-Wan dodged again, grunting as a three-clawed hand slammed onto his chest. He scrabbled for his lightsaber with one hand and pushed against the creature's neck with the other, trying to keep its snapping jaws away from his face. The claws tightened as the creature put more weight on its front limbs, and Obi-Wan felt them sink through the fabric of his undertunic and pierce the skin of his chest. His hand finally brushed the cool metal of his lightsaber and he grabbed it, shoving it up against the creature's scaly belly and flicking the switch.

The creature roared and reared back. Obi-Wan rolled out from underneath it and swung the blade again, slashing through the reptile's neck. It fell to the ground, dead.

Obi-Wan panted, letting his lightsaber drop to his side as he eyed the creature. He scanned the surrounding area, but he sensed nothing else. It must have been alone, either that or its roar had scared off its friends. Obi-Wan thumbed the deactivation switch and his 'saber blade disappeared.

A soft sob cut through the sound of blood rushing in his ears. Obi-Wan turned. His gaze landed on Anakin, sitting in the mud a few feet away, shaking like a leaf while tears fell from frightened eyes.

"It's alright," Obi-Wan soothed. "We're ok."

"I wanna go home," Anakin cried.

Obi-Wan sighed, running a mud-covered hand over his mud-covered hair. "I know. But we still have to make it back to the city. We're almost halfway there, Ani. We can do it."

"But there are monsters! It tried to _eat_ you! We're gonna _die_!"

"We are not going to die."

"Yes, we are!"

"Anakin." Obi-Wan squatted down. "Look at me. We are not going to die. I have fought far worse creatures than a swamp serpent, and I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Anakin hiccuped. "B- but you're bleeding."

Obi-Wan glanced down at his chest. He was bleeding, and honestly he would probably need a couple of stitches, but he couldn't tell Anakin that. "Well, the nice thing about blood is that my body will make more of it. It's a nifty system we have. Quite useful, don't you think?"

Anakin hiccuped again, but he seemed to be calming down. "But what if you run out?"

"I am not going to run out of blood on our way back to the city."

"P- promise?"

"I promise."

Anakin eyed Obi-Wan like he wasn't sure whether to believe him, but eventually nodded in acceptance of that answer.

Obi-Wan gave him another minute to calm down. "Are you ready to keep going?" He asked, once the boy's tears had stopped.

A nod.

"Alright then. Come on." Obi-Wan reached out a hand.

Anakin took it, and Obi-Wan helped him to his feet.

By the time they reached the city the sun was setting and both boy and Padawan were thoroughly exhausted. Anakin started drifting off while Obi-Wan swam, and he ended up carrying Anakin on his back when they walked over the patches of muddy land. When they finally reached the city, Anakin was fast asleep, his head resting on Obi-Wan's shoulder.

Somehow, Obi-Wan found the strength to carry Anakin back to the hotel room they were staying in, bathe him, find him fresh clothes, and tuck him into bed. He tossed the dirtied garments in the trash, and was just peeling off his own shirt when his comm beeped.

It said a lot about how tired he was that he answered the call instead of letting it sit until after he had showered and put on fresh clothes of his own.

"Obi-Wan," the blue holo-image of Qui-Gon greeted. The older man opened his mouth to say something else, then seemed to do a double take as he noticed Obi-Wan's appearance. "What in the galaxy happened to you?"

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, lifting an arm to lean against the doorway to the bathroom. He glanced past the holo to where Anakin slept, safely wrapped in extra blankets. "It's a long story."

"Are those claw marks?"

"They are."

"You know, when I asked you to stay on Rodia, I had hoped you would keep Anakin out of trouble, not get into trouble of your own," Qui-Gon commented with a hint of amusement.

"He seems to have a knack for trouble."

"Hmm." Qui-Gon's lips twitched. "You two should be getting along well then."

"Master, forgive me, but is there a reason for your call? I would very much like to get the swamp muck off of my skin and sleep for a week."

"Of course, Padawan. I was just calling to see how you were managing. I had expected you to check in."

"Sorry, Master. Next time I'll tell the hungry beast to kindly wait a moment while I comm you."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "I shall take that as an indicator that everything is fine."

Obi-Wan hummed. "Sienna is recovering well, and Anakin has decided that he does not like swamps after all."

That earned another chuckle. "A pity."

"I spoke with the doctors earlier, and they said that Sienna's wound was not as bad as it looked. She is lucky that nothing vital was struck. She will be discharged tomorrow afternoon, and then we can set a course to join you all on Coruscant."

"That is good to hear," Qui-Gon said. "I will have the Council work with Rodia to arrange a ship for you. You will receive the details tomorrow."

Obi-Wan dipped his head. "Thank you, Master."

"Have a good night, my young Padawan. May the Force be with you."

"You as well, Master."

Obi-Wan placed the comm back on the dresser. He showered and changed, placing a couple of gauzes over his wounds to keep them from bleeding on his fresh tunic. As much as he wanted nothing more than to collapse on his bed right now, he knew that he needed to see someone about those scratches. He wasn't familiar with the swamp life of Rodia, and for all he knew the claws of that creature might carry some kind of poison. Although, if that was the case, he would probably be dead already.

He wrote a quick note for Anakin and taped it to the door, just in case the boy woke up while he was gone. The last thing he needed was a panicked Anakin running around the city trying to find him.

Luckily, their lodging was just down the street from the hospital, so Obi-Wan didn't have to walk far. It was a further stroke of luck that the place was practically empty, and someone was able to see to him almost immediately.

"Had a run in with a ghest?" The healer asked.

"If that's the name for a large, green, serpentine creature, then yes."

"That's a ghest," the healer confirmed. "But they live deep in the swamps. Where did you find one?"

"It's a long story," Obi-Wan said tiredly.

The healer didn't ask him any more questions after that, and Obi-Wan found he was grateful for the silence. Once he was stitched up and cleared, he made his way back to his hotel room. Anakin was still sound asleep.

Obi-Wan bent to remove his boots, only to realize that he wasn't wearing any. Right, he left those in the swamp. He wondered for half a second whether the healers noticed his lack of footwear, but decided he really didn't care, and flopped (carefully, so as not to tear his new stitches) on the bed.

He was out before he landed.


	8. Chapter 8

Sienna was signing the last of her medical paperwork when Obi-Wan and Anakin walked through the doors to the hospital.

"Good morning, Sienna!" Anakin called, skipping into the room.

"Good _afternoon_ , womp rats," Sienna greeted in return. "It's nearly 1500 standard, silly. Not morning."

"Well, I only just woke up like two hours ago, so basically it's morning," Anakin said, bouncing up onto the cot. He perched himself next to his friend, swinging his legs back and forth over the edge.

"Hmm." She glanced up from the document she was skimming, and Anakin's footwear caught her eye. "Oh, you got new boots. Did you and Obi-Wan go shopping yesterday?"

"Um, not exactly," Anakin said. He glanced at Obi-Wan uncertainly.

Sienna raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'not exactly'?"

"We went sight-seeing," Obi-Wan said.

"Oh yeah? What sights did you see?"

"We saw some very nice nice mud," the man said cheerfully. "Extra sticky, high quality stench. We even got a close-up of a ghest's teeth."

Sienna stared at him. "What did you do, get lost in the swamp?"

"Yup," Anakin said.

Sienna looked from Anakin, to Obi-wan, to Anakin again, trying to gauge whether they were being serious. When it became clear that they were, she burst out laughing. "Of course you did."

"Obi-Wan almost got _eaten_!" Anakin exclaimed.

"It was a real full-immersion experience," the man agreed. "A once in a lifetime trip."

"And you didn't invite me," Sienna tsked. "I'm offended. Come on, Kenobi, I thought we were starting to become friends."

"Next time I find myself trudging through a swamp, fending off hungry reptiles, I'll be sure to call you," Obi-Wan promised.

"Good. It's the least you can do."

Anakin giggled, the tension in his Force-signature fading away as the two Padawans bantered. He was happy to see that neither Sienna nor Obi-Wan seemed mad about the swamp incident. Obi-Wan hadn't seemed mad exactly, but being not _obviously_ mad didn't mean he _wasn't_ mad. But if he was joking around with Sienna, that meant that he was happy, and if he was happy then he probably didn't hate Anakin, so that was good.

Sienna picked up on the positive shift in Anakin's mood and ruffled his hair with a smile. "Doc says I'm good to go, but I have to be careful not to rip the stitches. Anakin, you're in charge of reminding me not to accept hugs around my middle. Think you can do that?"

Anakin nodded seriously. "Yup! No hugs for you."

"Thanks, kiddo." She ended the ruffle with a flourish, then turned to Obi-Wan. "What's our plan now?"

"A ship has been arranged for us. We are to set course for Coruscant as soon as you're ready."

"Then let's head on out."

The trio left the hospital and set off for the hanger where the ship was waiting. Anakin stopped on the way to shout goodbye to the sea slugs under the city, insisting that they were his friends now and it was impolite to leave without doing so.

"What was that about telling Anakin to remind you of no hugs?" Obi-Wan asked curiously, while the boy ran around and tried to use the Force to find the creatures.

"That's how I'm keeping Anakin from doing his normal run-and-pounce hug," Sienna said. "If I told him to be careful and that he couldn't hug me for a few days, he'd forget as soon as he got excited. But if I give him a task, he's more likely to remember, and less likely to take it personally."

"That's smart," Obi-Wan commented. "I wouldn't have thought of that."

"I've been around him long enough to know the Anakin Skywalker life-hacks."

"Got any good ones for keeping him from diving headfirst into trouble?" Obi-Wan asked.

She snorted. "Oh, there's no keeping him out of trouble. It finds him no matter what you do."

"Hah. Good to know."

Anakin did manage to find the slug. He wished it farewell, then turned and dashed back to the waiting Jedi, pushing himself between them so that he was walking in the middle. At some point, he slipped his hands into one of each of theirs, humming happily as they walked.

Sienna glanced down at him with a fond smile. He was glowing in the Force, his presence swirled with cheerful yellows, and he seemed relaxed. It was probably the most relaxed she'd ever seen him, come to think of it. He felt safe sandwiched between the two Jedi, like nothing in the world could hurt him.

She glanced up at Obi-Wan and saw a vaguely amused smile on his lips. He was looking ahead, scanning the crowds, noticing every detail like a good Jedi should, but a tendril of his focus remained on Anakin. It almost seemed to bask in the boy's warmth, soaking up his joy.

Sienna was glad the two seemed to be getting along. Anakin could be difficult to handle at times, but he also had a huge heart. Despite yesterday's protests and accusations, she knew that he looked up to the other Padawan. If Obi-Wan had rejected him, the boy would take it deeply personally, and would hold that hurt deep within him for a long time. But it seemed like whatever escapade they had in the swamp yesterday had been a bonding experience, and each of the guys seemed to have accepted the other. Good. Anakin needed more positive role models in his life.

_"You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you."_

Sienna froze. She felt her arm jerk as Anakin tried to keep walking, oblivious to the fact that Sienna had stopped. Obi-Wan was the most graceful of the three, and he used his grip on Anakin's other hand to keep the boy from falling over backwards.

"Is everything alright?" Obi-Wan asked, giving the other Padawan a puzzled look.

Sienna didn't answer. She reached out into the Force, trying to grab whatever _that_ was, but it had slipped away as suddenly as it had come, leaving behind a vague impression of immeasurable suffering. But then the Force lapped against her conscious like a gentle wave, washing away the traces of death that clung to her mind in the wake of the voice.

What was that all about?

"Sienna," Anakin tugged at her hand. "What are you doing? Come on."

She shook herself. "Right, sorry. I thought I heard something."

They continued walking. Anakin forgot all about her strange behavior and struck up a conversation with Obi-Wan, asking questions about where they were going and who would be there and whether he would get to meet more Jedi. Obi-Wan answered them patiently, but Sienna could feel the curious and mildly concerned glances that he cast her way. She flashed a smile, the same one she used when she told him not to worry about the 'fabric of existence.' He rolled his eyes, but seemed to let it go.

And then his gaze landed on the place where her shirt was mended, and he frowned,

"Is that the same tunic you were wearing when you got stabbed?" He asked.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Yeah, why?"

"Is that the only shirt you have?"

"Yes."

"Are those the only clothes you have at all?"

"Of course not," She said. "I have other clothes."

Obi-Wan's expression relaxed.

"...They just all got left behind in the whole stab-and-run deal."

His face scrunched into something akin to exasperation. "And are you planning to spend six days of space travel with only one set of clothes?"

"I've done it before."

"Why does that not surprise me," he muttered. He turned down a side street, his grasp on Anakin's hand forcing the boy and Sienna to follow.

"Yo Obi-Wan, hanger's that way," Sienna said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder.

"And I saw a clothing shop this way," he replied.

"Cool, but I don't have any credits on me."

"I have credits," Obi-Wan said. "The Council gives us allowances on missions. And seeing as your current attire has suffered knife and blood, and Anakin only has one more set of spare clothes, I think this is as good a use for it as any." He glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow, daring her to argue with his logic.

To his surprise, it was actually Anakin who tried to protest. He let go of Obi-Wan's hand, anxiety spiking in the Force around him. "It's ok, Obi-Wan sir, I don't need anything. I know how to wash and mend my own clothes, and it's all my own fault my other ones got ruined."

Obi-Wan looked down at the boy, brow furrowing in confusion. Anakin had gone along with getting new boots earlier today, why was he suddenly anxious? What was the difference between that and getting another set of clothes?

Sienna squeezed Anakin's hand gently. "Obi-Wan wants to buy you clothes, Ani. It's a gift. You won't have to pay him back."

Anakin looked at her, then back at Obi-Wan. "A gift?" He asked suspiciously.

Obi-Wan nodded, smoothing his features and trying to look as sincere as possible. "Of course. Nothing fancy, just a set of tunics and a pair of pants to replace the set I threw away."

"Aren't the Jedi gonna be mad at you for buying me things? I'm not even a Jedi learner or anything."

"No," Obi-Wan said, "why would they be mad?"

Anakin didn't answer, but he glanced back at Sienna again. They seemed to have a silent conversation, and then she gave him an encouraging smile and a nod.

"Well, ok," Anakin said.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Sienna said. "Lead the way."

They stepped into a shop and Anakin looked immediately overwhelmed. Sienna looked out of her depth too, but she put on a confident face as she brought Anakin to the section where the kid-sized tunics were.

"How do I know if they'll fit?" He asked.

"Um," Sienna picked up a plain brown tunic and held it in the air. She glanced at Anakin, then back at the tunic, then back at the boy, and finally over to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan took the tunic from Sienna and looked at it too. And realized he had absolutely no idea how to estimate shirt sizes for a child.

Apparently, they were all out of their depth.

"What size tunic do you normally wear?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at the tag in the shirt.

"Size?" Anakin echoed. "My mom makes my tunics. They're hand-me-downs from the older boys, and she alters them to fit me."

Oh. That made sense, actually, but it didn't help them here.

Luckily, the shopkeeper seemed to notice their helplessness and came to the rescue. She showed the Padawans how to measure the shirt against Anakin's back, and then how to measure the waist of a pair of pants around his neck.

"If it wraps like this, then you know the waist size is right," she explained.

Obi-Wan and Sienna looked on with matching levels of amazement.

"What a useful trick," Obi-Wan commented.

The shopkeeper asked if they needed undergarments too, which both Padawans agreed was a good idea, and she helped them find some based on the size of the pants Anakin chose and the new boots on his feet.

"Anything else I can help you with?" She inquired, once Anakin had a set of inner and outer tunics, pants, and undergarments in his arms.

The boy turned to Sienna with a grin. "Your turn!"

Sienna did her best impression of a startled duga duga. "Um, I mean, if you just have something that's basically the same as this-" she gestured to her tan shirt and green camo-patterned pants "-that'll work."

The shopkeeper led her to another section of the shop and helped her find something she liked. Anakin added his thoughts on colors, which Sienna managed to tactfully dismiss while still sounding like she took his suggestions into consideration.

She was NOT going to wear orange, no matter how much Anakin thought it was a good color.

"Do you want to try them on?" The shopkeeper asked, once Sienna had found a couple of shirts and a pair of pants.

The Padawan shook her head. "It's fine, I'll just alter them if I don't like the fit."

The shopkeeper turned to Obi-Wan. "And you? Do you need anything?"

"I'm alright, thank you," he said. But then he caught a spark of anxiety around Anakin again, and got an idea. "Actually, come to think of it, I could use another tunic myself."

That seemed to be the right thing to say, because Anakin calmed down significantly while Obi-Wan was shown to yet another area in the shop.

With everyone's clothes gathered, paid for, and tucked into Obi-Wan's backpack, the group set out again.

"Thank you," Sienna said, as they exited the shop.

"Thanks Obi-Wan!" Anakin echoed.

The Jedi smiled. "You're most welcome."

"Are we going to find the ship now?" Anakin asked.

"We are."

"Yippee! I can't wait to see it." Anakin slipped his hands back into each of the Padawans' hands, and they resumed their walk.

Upon arriving at the hanger the trio was met by a friendly Rodian pilot, who greeted them and led them to the ship they would be using. Anakin gaped at it, his Force-signature giddy with excitement. He stared at the wings, the wheels, the viewscreen, taking in every detail with fascination.

Sienna circled the ship, running a hand along the hull. "This is a really nice model," she commented. "It's in great shape, for an antique."

The pilot gave her a startled look. "Antique? This is last year's model. It's practically brand new."

"Er, right, of course," Sienna laughed nervously, "that was a joke."

The pilot eyed her, but he rattled off some specs and the preparations that had been done. He held out a datapad, which Obi-Wan signed.

"Enjoy your trip," the pilot said by way of farewell.

Obi-Wan bowed. "Thank you. May the Force be with you."

"Bye!" Anakin said cheerfully.

Sienna had already disappeared up the loading ramp and into the ship. She checked some controls, glanced over the monitors, and then made a beeline for the cockpit.

"It's been too long," she said, grinning as she slid into the pilot's seat and ran a hand over the console. Then, in a louder voice, "Starting pre-flight checks!"

Obi-Wan and Anakin appeared a moment later.

The boy ran forward, skidding to a halt in front of the control panel. "Wizard! A real starship!" He had been too busy fretting to fully appreciate his first flight in the Nubian cruiser, but now he could devote all of his attention to this ship.

"I take it you're flying?" Obi-Wan commented to Sienna.

She turned to pierce him with the most serious expression he had ever seen on her face. "Kenobi, if I am ever in a ship and not the one flying it, it's because I'm either dead or unconscious."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Well in that case, it's all yours," he said, sweeping his arm out in a dramatic bow.

"You got that right," she laughed. "Anakin, come here, I'll show you what I'm doing."

"Wizard!"

Obi-Wan slid into the co-pilot seat and started his own checks while Sienna walked Anakin through the different levers and switches and buttons. The boy listened with rapt attention, absorbing it all like a sponge.

"And when I press this here, you want to make sure that light there is green. That means our hyperdrive is functional. You always want to make sure your hyperdrive is good to go before you get too far."

"What if you forget?"

Obi-Wan smirked, and called over, "Then you might end up on a dust bucket trying to barter with a Toydarian for a hyperdrive."

Sienna laughed. "That, or a million other highly inconvenient scenarios. Hyperdrives are the lifeblood of cross-galaxy space travel. Even a pile of garbage bolted together will get you where you need to go if it has a good hyperdrive." She flicked one last switch. "Time to buckle up, boys, we're heading to Coruscant."

Anakin plopped in his seat and gripped the edge, leaning forward in anticipation.

The ship rose slowly and edged out of the hangar as Sienna got a feel for the controls. Once they were clear of the dome, she glanced back at Anakin with a mischievous grin. "Wanna see something cool?"

"Yeah!"

Obi-Wan shot her a look of alarm. "What are you-"

But she had already thrown the ship into a nosedive. Anakin screeched and laughed as the ground raced up towards them, only for the ship to pull up at the last second and skim the surface of the swamp. Sienna yanked the stick to the side, flipping the ship sideways, tilting and weaving between the trees. Some startled can-cells leapt into the air, zipping away, and Sienna copied some of their dodging motions. She then pulled the aircraft up, up, away from the swamp, and nudged it into a barrel roll.

Obi-Wan groaned, bracing himself against his seat. "I'm going to be sick."

Sienna just laughed, finishing the stunt with a nice loop, and then returned to even flying as they exited Rodia's atmosphere.

"That was WIZARD!" Anakin shouted. "Let's do it again!"

"Let's not," Obi-Wan said.

"Aww, don't like flying?" Sienna asked.

"I don't mind flying," Obi-Wan responded, "But I don't think _that_ can be called 'flying.' More like tempting death."

Sienna smirked. "That's the fun part of flying."

"If you're going to do that every time we get on a ship, I may need to rethink my travel arrangements."

That earned a laugh. "Well, if we ever find ourselves flying together again, I'll be sure to pack you a paper bag."

Obi-Wan sent her a half-hearted glare as she punched in the hyperspace co-ordinates. Anakin's antics with the can-cell were starting to make a little more sense if this was who he had as a teacher.

They leapt forward into the blue of hyperspace. Anakin gasped, staring out the viewscreen at the long, blue tunnel of blurred stars.

Sienna leaned back in her own chair, tucking her arms behind her head with a smile. "Welcome to hyperspace, kiddo."

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"

She hummed in agreement. "It's one thing that never gets old."

They watched in silence for a while. The tunnel zoomed past, the streaks of light flashing by faster than the eye could capture them. A thousand stars, a thousand systems, blurred and stretched like strings, woven together to create the fabric of the universe.

Eventually, Sienna stood and carefully stretched. "I'm gonna go get something to eat. Ani, you're welcome to stay here and watch, you can even sit in the pilot's chair, just make sure you don't touch anything, ok?"

"Ok! Can you teach me more about flying?"

"Sure, later. We have six days of travel, plenty of time."

"Ok." Anakin hopped up into the pilot's seat as Sienna stepped aside, his eyes still glued to the viewscreen.

She ruffled his hair, nodded to Obi-Wan, and disappeared from the cockpit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they're off to Coruscant!
> 
> A lot happened in this chapter, how was the pacing? There were some spots here and there that I struggled with, I'm always trying to balance putting in all the scenes I want while also not drawing things out too much. If you think there needs to be more detail (or less) please let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts, things that made you laugh, things you'd like to see more of, anything. I'm even open to prompts/suggestions for interactions you'd like to see, or questions you would like answered within the story. :)
> 
> See you Saturday!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celebration time- this is officially the longest (by word count) fic I've ever written! Technically I passed that mark with chapter 8, but I only just noticed now.
> 
> Here's to many more chapters, and many more words! Enjoy chapter 9. :)

Over the course of the next couple days, Sienna taught Anakin the ins and outs of a starship. The hours slipped by unnoticed while the pair poured over schematics and other technical drawings and diagrams. This particular vessel was not equipped with a holotable for projecting them, but it didn't seem to matter - Sienna sketched up diagram after diagram on a datapad from memory alone, and even scrounged up some spare wires and pieces of disposal flimsi to make little models, much to Anakin's delight.

By the third day of travel (the second full day on the ship, seeing as they had departed in the early evening), she was having Anakin try to design ships of his own. She gave him pointers, and sometimes gave him puzzles to solve.

"How's this?" Anakin asked, holding up a sheet of flimsi.

Sienna studied it for a moment. "Looks good. Now make it twice as fast."

The boy's eyes lit up at the challenge, and he bent over the flimsi again, scratching out lines and scribbling alternate parts he could use.

Obi-Wan was quite frankly amazed by the way the two could focus on ships for days on end without getting bored. He had done well in his engineering classes, and he was a solid pilot, but he just didn't have the zeal for it. If the creche-masters had made him spend two whole days designing ships at nine years old, he would have lost his mind.

He sipped a mug of tea and read a novel on the datapad while Sienna and Anakin sat on the floor surrounded by flimsi and scraps. He was reading one of those dramatic novels that Qui-Gon thought were a waste of time, but Obi-Wan found them entertaining, and Qui-Gon wasn't here to make fun of him for it.

"Hey Obi-Wan, wanna see the ship I made?" Anakin asked a short time later.

"Sure." He set down his datapad and accepted the sheet of flimsi that Anakin held out. The ship was a classic starfighter. It looked pretty good actually, and Obi-Wan was impressed by the precision of the drawing, except-

"The deflectors are a bit off," he commented. "If you do them like this, you'll drain too much power, and stall out mid-flight."

"What?" Sienna said. "Let me see that again."

Obi-Wan passed the flimsi back to Anakin, who passed it to Sienna.

"No, he did it right. See? The power is routed like this."

Obi-Wan slid out of his seat and onto the floor, coming to crouch beside Sienna and Anakin. "It still draws too much power," he said, tracing the line with his finger. "The converters can't handle that."

"Sure they can, you just have to recycle it here."

"But you can't _do_ that," Obi-Wan said. "The technology required for something like that doesn't exist."

Sienna stared at the page for another minute, then called Obi-Wan's datapad to her with the Force and did a quick search on the holonet. "Dang, you're right. Huh."

Anakin took his flimsi back. "Well, maybe you can send me some parts from your galaxy, and then I can make my ship work."

She laughed. "I'm sure you guys will catch up eventually. You just might have to wait a couple decades."

Obi-Wan's lips quirked up at the corner. He had almost forgotten that Sienna was from another galaxy. "Are we really that far behind?"

"Given the rate of invention, I'd say you'll be where I'm used to in," she paused, doing some mental calculations, "28 years."

Obi-Wan blinked. "That's a very specific number."

She shrugged. "Give or take."

"Hmm." Obi-Wan decided to file that comment away under 'things that are just slightly off about Sienna Retrograde' to mull over later.

"Can you show me the ships you built?" Anakin asked.

Sienna hesitated. With Obi-Wan's reminder that some of the tech she was used to didn't exist yet, she wondered if showing that tech to Anakin would mess up the timeline. Yeah, it definitely could. She could see it now - 'Child Prodigy Anakin Skywalker Invents New Power Converters, Paving the Way for a New Era of Space Travel.'

"Sorry kiddo. I think we'll hold off on that."

"Awwww. Please?"

"Nope."

He pouted. "Pretty please?"

"Ani."

"Hpmh." He pouted for another minute or so, but soon enough was back to drawing ships of his own.

Obi-Wan went back to the table and picked up his novel again. He really ought to do something more productive, like meditate or stretch or go through basic katas. It's what the Masters would expect of a Senior Padawan.

Instead, said Senior Padawan settled more comfortably in the chair and started the next chapter, relishing in this little bit of rebellion. Perhaps, when Qui-Gon asked how he had spent the days of hyperspace travel, Obi-Wan would say 'absolutely nothing' just to bask in the other man's annoyance.

"Are you a Jedi, or a sluggard?" Qui-Gon would ask, as he often did when Obi-Wan tried to sleep in.

Obi-Wan would look him in the eye and say, "I am whatever the Force requires of me."

* * *

The peace could only last so long though. The past few days had been a whirlwind of taxing adventures, especially so for a boy who had never left his own city, so it came as no real surprise to anyone that the group finally reached a breaking point. Later that evening, Obi-Wan was in the kitchen making a pot of tea and munching on a ration bar when he heard raised voices from somewhere else in the ship. Anakin shouted something in Huttese, and Sienna snapped a response, and then Anakin said something that was almost definitely a Huttese curse word. Obi-Wan heard the hiss of a door sliding shut, then angry bootsteps retreating down the hall and some more muttering.

Obi-Wan winced, and got another mug out of the cabinet.

He found Sienna sitting in the cockpit, eyes closed, elbows resting on her knees and forehead pressed against steepled fingers.

"Everything alright?" He asked as he entered.

She sighed heavily and sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. "Yeah. It's just, _ugh_." She tugged her hair back into a nerf-tail, then ran her palms over the shorn sides of her head. "I love him, I really do, but sometimes he's a pain in the _shebs_."

Obi-Wan hummed, and held out the second mug of tea. She took it with a mumbled thanks.

"You speak _Mando'a_?" he asked, settling into the co-pilot's chair.

"Yeah. Do you?"

"I do. I learned it on a mission a few years ago."

Sienna blew gently on her tea, then took a sip. "It's my fourth language. I'm technically a Mandalorian by creed- I was a Foundling."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow in confusion. "But you're also a Jedi?"

She sighed again. "I have a feeling your Order and mine are very different."

"Well, seeing as we are so dreadfully busy, I suppose you wouldn't want to spare a minute to tell me about it."

Sienna snorted. " _Mir'sheb_."

Obi-Wan simply smirked around the rim of his mug.

Sienna took another sip of her own tea, letting the warmth soothe away her frustration from the argument with Anakin. "Hmm. I'm not even sure where to start."

"The beginning is usually a good place," Obi-Wan suggested.

"You don't say," she replied drily. The banter was as soothing as the tea though, and she settled more comfortably into her chair, tucking one leg up underneath her.

"I was born on Nar Shaddaa," she began, and Obi-Wan choked on his tea.

Sienna smirked. "Yup, I know. About the worst place in the entire galaxy."

Obi-Wan tried to get his coughing under control, face turning red. Sienna just sat there and smirked at him, lifting an eyebrow and waiting patiently for him to figure out how to breathe again. He coughed a few more times, then waved for her to continue her story.

"My parents owned a shop, so I learned Huttese, Binary, and Basic from birth, and I could handle tools before I could walk. They disappeared when I was around five or six. Got shot, probably. I was a street kid for a couple months, made my way finding scrap and fixing things in exchange for food. One time, I fixed some speeder parts for a guy and he didn't pay me. Being the stubborn child I was, I confronted him about it. Almost got myself killed, but a Mando happened to walk by. He shot the Trandoshan, and took me under his wing.

"We stayed on Nar Shaddaa. He was either hiding from something or hunting something, I never found out which or what, but he was a good father to me. He taught me _Mando'a_ , and about Mandalorian culture. He took up bounty hunting to take care of us, and I kept honing my tinkering skills. He taught me how to fly, and I started field racing when I was ten. Boy, I loved it." She smiled wistfully, looking off into space through the viewscreen. "There's no flying like field racing."

"Field racing?" Obi-Wan asked.

Sienna explained what it was, and when Obi-Wan nodded in understanding, she continued. "That's where I got my last name. I don't remember what my birth surname was, but in the races I did this trick where I'd fly backwards, like a planet in retrograde." She motioned with her hands, moving one over the other. "The name stuck.

"I came home from one of my races one time and our apartment was trashed. Completely torn apart. And in the middle of the wreckage, my _buir_ was dead. I guess whatever it was he stayed on Nar Shaddaa for, it finally caught up to him."

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said softly. "That must have been hard."

Sienna shrugged, tracing the rim of her mug with her finger. "Yeah. It is what it is though. In a place like that, your days are numbered. On some level, I think I expected that to happen someday. After that I was alone again. I raced more often, and I started winning. I used the prize money to buy back my parent's old shop, and made it my own. I built a reputation as someone reliable. I earned the nickname 'Five' because I could fix anything in five hours or less. No matter how trashed your ship was, I could fix it. No one else could do that. Heck, I probably could've assembled an entirely new ship in that time if I had the parts.

"I was fifteen when the Jedi came. Two Knights, Calian Verde and Avetis Kaito. Their ship needed fixing, and I fixed it, and they invited me to come learn about the Force. I wasn't all that interested, but I had this feeling, like I was supposed to go. So I did. I figured I'd be back at my shop in a week. But, well, that was six years ago." She smiled as she took a long drink of her tea. "Calian took me on as his Padawan. He's probably the only one who could handle me. I mean, the Masters are great and all, but they're all so calm and proper. Calian is energetic and daring, and he has a good sense of humor. I'd give him attitude, and he'd give it right back, and I respected that."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Sounds like it was a good match."

"Mmm."

They lapsed into silence, drinking their tea.

"I'm a little confused about a couple of things," Obi-Wan began, after a couple of minutes had passed.

Sienna gestured for him to continue.

"You said the Knights found you when you were fifteen?"

"Mm hm."

"And you were allowed to become a Jedi? To start training at that age?"

Sienna gave him a puzzled look. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Huh. In my Order, younglings are brought to the Temple up to age three or four. After that, they're considered too old."

"Too old?" Sienna echoed. "Too old for what?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "To learn our ways, I guess? To be honest, I never gave it much thought. It's probably something to do with difficulty learning management of emotions, or attachments."

"Attachments? What does that mean?"

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. "You don't have the concept of attachments?"

"We might, under a different name."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Attachments are things, places, or people that one grows too 'attached' to. Enough that you would be willing to risk a mission or a larger group to save the one. They are things that distract you when you need to be focused, that pull your attentions away from the here and now. But beyond that, they are things that you wish to possess and control, and that you are afraid to lose. They're born out of selfishness."

Sienna contemplated that, tilting her head slightly. "Hm. I don't think we really have a concept like that. It's more of a given that the greater good comes first. I mean, I'd say I'm pretty attached to Calian, and he's pretty attached to me and to his fianceé. But, I think we use the word differently. Possession isn't healthy in any relationship."

"Your Master is engaged?"

"Don't tell me your Order forbids marriage too."

At Obi-Wan's silence, Sienna's jaw dropped. "You're kidding. You guys can't get married?"

"Well, it's not explicitly forbidden," Obi-Wan said slowly, "but most would consider a partner like that to be problematic in that one cannot commit themself fully to the Jedi and also to a partner."

"That's wild," Sienna said. "Two of our highest-ranking Masters are married to one another and have kids in the Order, though they're all grown. There aren't a ton of relationships happening, but there are a handful."

"How strange."

Sienna laughed, leaning back in her chair. "I wonder just how many differences there are between our Orders."

"We'll have to make a list," Obi-Wan said, only half joking. The more Sienna spoke of her Order, the more curious he became about a group that was, in name, the same as his, but in practice seemed to be very different.

"Mm. We should." Sienna drained the last of her tea, then set the mug afloat with the Force, spinning it in lazy circles above her head. "What about you, Kenobi? I've told you my life story, what's yours?"

Obi-Wan huffed a laugh. "Much more boring."

"Hah. I doubt that. You seem like the kind of guy who gets into just as much trouble as Anakin, except you know how to talk your way out of it. Bet you've got the innocent tooka kit expression down pretty good too."

"What? Me? Get into trouble? Never." He pouted, and Sienna chucked her mug at him with the Force.

"That's exactly the look I'm talking about. You have no business having eyes that wide and sparkly."

Obi-Wan laughed again and dodged the flying mug. "I think Qui-Gon would agree with you on that. Although, the tooka kit eyes never did work on him."

"He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn't buy it," Sienna mused.

Obi-Wan hummed in agreement. "Never stopped me from trying, though. He sent me down to the creche once to 'spend time with the other babies' after I tried the tooka kit eyes. The joke's on him though, because I only learned how to do it better."

Sienna laughed, and Obi-Wan smiled fondly at the memory, before launching into a summary of his childhood.

"I was born on Stewjon, and brought to the Temple as a babe. I had a pretty standard upbringing, for a Jedi youngling. I had my share of friends and enemies among my creche-mates. I studied hard, trained hard, and wanted nothing more than to become a Jedi Knight and save the galaxy. But I was too aggressive, and was not chosen to be a Padawan before aging out. I was sent off to the Agri-corps just before my thirteenth birthday."

"Aging out?" Sienna asked.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. If a youngling is not chosen by a Knight by the time the child reaches 13, they are sent to one of the Corps to serve there. Not everyone is destined to be a Jedi Knight."

"There's no such concept in my Order. If you want to be a Knight, you can be, no matter your age."

"Hmm. I suspected as much, when you said that you first came to your Order at fifteen," Obi-Wan said. "But thirteen is the soft cutoff for humans and other species that age in the same way. Though, that rule is changing. Anyway, Qui-Gon happened to be going to the same planet on a different mission. I was determined to impress him. He was my last shot at becoming a Padawan. I did eventually manage to do so, after a great deal of embarrassing mishaps that did nothing to help my cause." Obi-Wan smirked at the memory of nearly being choked to death by a Hutt. "And I have been a Padawan ever since. The end." He smirked when Sienna raised an eyebrow. "I told you it wasn't that interesting."

"I'm sure there are plenty of good stories in there," Sienna said. "You've been a Padawan for how long? I've only been one for six years, and I have my share of story-worthy incidents."

"Twelve years."

"Definitely gotta be some stories. Like, how did you finally convince Qui-Gon to take you on?"

"I offered to blow myself up so he could save some miners," Obi-Wan said cheerfully.

Sienna lost her focus on the mug, which fell down and hit her on the head. "You did _what_?"

"You heard right." Obi-Wan hid his amused look behind his own mug as he drained the last of his tea.

Sienna didn't look amused though. The mug lay forgotten in her lap as she swiveled to face Obi-Wan. "Let me get this straight. Qui-Gon refused to take you as a Padawan because you were 'too aggressive' and only changed his mind after you tried to sacrifice your life for his?"

Obi-Wan's smile faded, and he found that he suddenly felt uncomfortable under her cool gaze. "I mean, he didn't let me, we found another way."

"Obviously," she said drily, "considering you're sitting here in front of me. But is that moment really the thing that made him decide you were worth it?"

Obi-Wan shifted in his seat. This wasn't going the way he had thought it would. "The cards were stacked against me. It took something drastic to overcome his fears about taking a Padawan. He said that my courage was extraordinary, even for a Jedi."

Sienna's lips pressed into a thin line, and she turned back around to look out the viewscreen. Obi-Wan could feel her agitation swirling in the Force around her, a thousand little orange snakes lashing their tails. He wasn't sure what to do about it. They had been having such a good conversation a second ago, how could it have changed so quickly? Why did this upset her?

"Sienna?" Obi-Wan asked hesitantly.

She sighed, and he felt some of the snake slither away. Not all of them though.

"A child should never have to sacrifice themself for an adult," she said. "And doing so shouldn't be what earns them respect."

"It was a complicated situation," Obi-Wan said. "It was almost the only way. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. I didn't do it for Qui-Gon specifically. And a Jedi must always be prepared to do what is right for the many, even at cost to themself."

"Sure. That's part of the job. But what bothers me is that's what it took for Jinn to see your worth."

Obi-Wan didn't know what to say to that. He rolled his mug between his palms and stared out at the vast blue tunnel, watching it flow by like an infinite crashing wave. Sienna wasn't the first person to say something along those lines. Satine had been bothered as well, and so had some of his friends at the Temple.

If he was completely honest with himself, it bothered him too, that Qui-Gon had refused to see his worth until that moment. And there were a number of other moments throughout his apprenticeship where they had been in similarly difficult situations and Qui-Gon didn't behave the way a Master should.

But at the same time, though that moment had been what it took, _in_ the moment Qui-Gon had been horrified, almost scared. He had ordered Obi-Wan _not_ to do it. Had been ready to sacrifice the lives of everyone else in the mine rather than let a child die. 

Yes, there were moments when Qui-Gon made mistakes. When his stubbornness had caused Obi-Wan to doubt himself. But there were just as many times where Qui-Gon had cared for Obi-Wan. Like when Obi-Wan almost got his mind wiped, and Qui-Gon had been worried sick. There were the tough moments, but there were just as many moments of gentleness and laughter. Qui-Gon loved his Padawan, even if he didn't always show it. And Obi-Wan would gladly follow Qui-Gon into the jaws of death.

And all that was a bit too much to explain in one conversation, especially since Sienna seemed to have made up her mind about this. Perhaps another time, if they had the opportunity to get to know one another better, then he would be able to explain. But if they didn't? Well, everyone was entitled to their own opinion. 

Sienna cast him a sideways glance. "Geez, man, I didn't mean to bring down the mood. You're gonna brood a hole right through the ship."

Obi-Wan released a breathy laugh. "What can I say, brooding is one of my talents."

"Hm. Keep on like that and I'll have to go get us some refills on the tea."

"And what a shame that would be, forced to drink two mugs of tea in one evening."

Sienna chucked her mug at him again. Obi-Wan caught it this time and smirked, then stood and swept out of the cockpit, both mugs in hand. He heard Sienna stand and follow, and saw her power up the dejarik table from the corner of his eye while he set another pot to heat up.

"Wanna play a round?" She asked, gesturing to the board.

"Sure. What are the stakes?"

"Oooo, a gambler are we?"

Obi-Wan smirked again. "Only sometimes."

Sienna sat down, propping one leg up on the bench. "Well, I still don't have any credits, and yours are an allowance from the Jedi Council, so money's out of the question."

"Hmm. Snacks then?" He reached into one of the cupboards and pulled out a bag of freeze-dried fruit pieces.

"That'll work," Sienna said. "Get ready to lose all your snacks, Kenobi."

"On the contrary, I think it is you that will be snack-less. Prepare to weep for your lost fruit."

Sienna grinned, a competitive glint in her eye. "We'll see about that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarification on Chapter 9, added 11/11/20:
> 
> I have received a couple of questions regarding Sienna and Obi-Wan’s conversation towards the end of this chapter, so I’d like to take a moment to clarify a few things. 
> 
> First and easiest, the reference to how Obi-Wan became a Padawan is taken from the Jedi Apprentice books. I know a lot of folks dislike those books, and they are considered legends (so technically not canon) but I like having the base to work with.
> 
> Second, this is NOT a “time traveler fixes the Jedi Order by convincing them to allow romance and marriage” story. I feel like that trope is rather disrespectful to the many people who are single, celibate, asexual, and/or aromantic. This story is an exploration of how history changes naturally if you throw in just one different character. What events will go down differently due to the presence of one more individual? We shall find out. I have a whole long explanation for why the comments about marriage are in that conversation, but I won’t subject you to that lol. If you’re really curious, feel free to send me a message and I’m happy to share. :) 
> 
> And always feel free to send me questions! I can be reached through the comments or through tumblr, and I am always happy to explain things and chat with readers.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has made it to ten chapters and over 40,000 words already! When I wrote the first chapter as a drabble, I didn't think I would follow through with an entire story. Fun fact, the original first couple of chapters were actually written for a different oc of mine, which I swapped for Sienna when I realized an Actual Plot for a whole story was forming in my mind. Sienna just felt like a much more natural character to carry out the story with, and I am very happy with the results. 
> 
> In sum, yay for 10 chapters! We've made it to the double-digits!

“He was trained in the Jedi arts,” Qui-Gon said, “my only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord.”

The Council members looked between one another, disbelief coloring the Force. 

“That’s impossible,” Ki-Adi-Mundi said, turning to Yoda for support. “The Sith have been extinct for a millennium.” 

“There are a great many things I would have once considered impossible before this mission,” Qui-Gon responded evenly. 

“I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing,” Windu said. But his words were uncertain, and he too looked to Yoda. 

“Ah. Hard to see, the Dark Side is,” said the little green Master. 

“We will use all our resources to unravel this mystery,” Windu spoke again, “We will discover the identity of your attacker.”

Qui-Gon dipped his head in acknowledgement. 

“What do you mean when you say that there are many things you would have considered impossible before this mission?” Plo Koon asked. “What other mysteries have you come across?”

“Two more mysteries,” Qui-Gon responded. “The first is a... vergence, in the Force.”

“A vergence, you say?” Yoda leaned forward, long ears pricked in intrigue.

“Located around a… person?” Windu asked. 

A unique tension rose in the room, curiosity and interest mixed with feelings of unease. A vergence was something to be handled carefully. 

“A boy,” Qui-Gon confirmed. “His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a lifeform. It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians.”

 _That_ caused some looks. 

“You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it’s this… boy?”

“I don’t presume to-”

“But you do,” Yoda interrupted, “revealed, your opinion is.”

“I request the boy be tested, Master.”

“Oh. Trained as a Jedi, you request for him, hm?”

“Finding him was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of that,” Qui-Gon said. “And… he has already had some training.”

“Training? Jedi training?” Mundi said. “From whom?”

“The third mystery of my mission. A young woman, a Jedi Padawan.”

“A Padawan?”

“Indeed. Her name is Sienna Retrograde.”

“I do not recall any Padawan by that name,” Windu said. 

“She is not of our Order.”

“Speak clearly, you must,” Yoda scolded. “Explain yourself.”

Qui-Gon inclined his head, accepting the rebuke. “Apologies, Master. She claims to be a Padawan of the Cosmic Order, which she says exists in another galaxy. She further claims to have fallen through a Force portal from her galaxy to ours, and that she has been unable to return home.”

“And you believe her story?” Windu asked. 

“I do,” Qui-Gon said. “The Force rings of nothing but truth around her.”

The Council members glanced between one another, and then to Yoda and Windu, the heads of the Order. Windu sighed heavily. “Bring them before us. Both of them.”

Qui-Gon half-bowed in acknowledgement. “I am afraid I cannot do that at this time.”

“And why is that?”

“They are not presently on Coruscant. The woman was injured, and she and the boy are close. He refused to leave her, and her condition was critical. As I could not abandon my primary mission, they were both left on Rodia so she could receive medical treatment. Obi-Wan is with them as well, with orders for all three of them to come to Coruscant as soon as they are able.”

“Ah. Wondered about the location of your Padawan, we did,” Yoda said. Then, with a chuckle, “Quite a situation you are in, hmm?”

Qui-Gon allowed a faint smile to cross his lips. “Indeed.”

“Let us know as soon as they are on-planet,” Windu said. “We will discuss this further then.”

Accepting the dismissal, Qui-Gon bowed one last time, and then turned and left the Council chamber. 

Windu sighed as the doors slid shut behind the man. “Only Jinn would bring us news of a supposed Sith Lord, supposed child of prophecy, and supposed member of another Order all in one briefing.”

Yoda chuckled again. “Many mysteries has he brought us. Exciting, hmm?”

“I suppose that’s one word for it.”

That earned yet another chuckle from the little green Master. “Betray you, your thoughts do. A headache, you call it.”

“Many headaches,” Windu agreed. 

The murmuring of the other Council members revealed that they agreed with him. 

Well, if he had to face the headache that was Qui-Gon Jinn, at least he didn’t have to face it alone.

* * *

Padmé sat on a couch in Senator Sheev Palpatine’s office, listening as the man spoke of the Senate. She had hoped that he might be able to offer some advice on how to bring her case before them, but his words were dismal.

“There is no civility, only politics,” Palpatine said, pacing a slow line across the room. “The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good.”

Sienna’s words from that lunch in the Skywalker residence echoed in Padmé’s mind. _“Politicians will always do what’s in their own best interest.”_ Padmé had been offended by the other woman’s words, but it seemed that Sheev had the same attitude. 

“I must be frank, Your Majesty, there is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion.”

“Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope,” Padmé pointed out. 

Sheev pressed his lips together, an echo of a diplomatic frown. “If I may say so Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power. He is mired by baseless accusations of corruption. The bureaucrats are in charge now.”

“What options have we?” 

Sheev began walking again, coming to stand in front of Padmé. “Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor, one who could control the bureaucrats. And give us justice.” Sheev paused, his tone taking on a hesitant note, as if he had just thought of an idea. “You... could call for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum.”

Padmé stared at the Senator incredulously. “He’s been our strongest supporter!”

Sheev turned away, resuming his pacing. “Our only other choice would be to submit a plea to the courts.”

Padmé felt her frustration grow. “The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate,” she snapped. “Our people are _dying_ , Senator. We must do something _quickly_ to stop the Federation.”

“To be realistic, Your Majesty, I think we are going to have to accept Federation control for the time being.” Sheev glanced back at Padmé.

She sighed. “That is something I cannot do.”

Padmé returned to her own quarters to prepare for the upcoming Senate meeting. As her handmaidens dressed her, she mulled over the Senator’s words. How could he even _consider_ accepting Federation control? Letting the Nubian people suffer and die? She wouldn’t stand for it. One way or another, she would find a way to take action, even if it meant storming Theed her _self_. 

Padmé liked Chancellor Valorum. She really didn’t want to believe that he was corrupt. He had been so sincere in his horror at what Naboo was facing, and in his hope that the Senate would do what was right. But she supposed she would have to wait and see what happened in the Senate hearing. 

She would do what she must. She was not elected to watch her people suffer and die while the Senate squabbled. 

And she told them as much, when Chancellor Valorum asked if she would defer her motion and wait for her claims to be investigated. 

“If this body is not capable of action,” she began, heart sinking at what she was about to say, “I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum’s leadership.”

The Senate erupted in shouting. Chancellor Valorum looked stunned. He sunk into his chair, staring at nothing, as chaos filled the chamber. 

“Order! Order!”

The call went unheard as the chaotic discussion continued.

“Now they will elect a new Chancellor,” Sheev said. “A strong Chancellor. One who will not let our tragedy continue.”

Padmé hoped he was right. But as she left the Senate chamber, where the Senators would no doubt argue for the rest of the night and well into tomorrow, she already began to doubt her decision. What would it matter who was Chancellor if it would take days, weeks, months for them to enact change? It would be too late for Naboo. 

There was only one thing left to do. She would solve this mess herself, with or without the Republic

* * *

“Sienna, got any fours?” 

“Go fish.” 

Obi-Wan drew a card from the pile and shuffled it into his hand. 

“Anakin, got any sevens?” Sienna asked. 

Anakin frowned, but drew three cards out of his hand and leaned forward to pass them to the Padawan. “Aww. How come you always ask for the cards I have?”

Sienna smirked as she spread the four 7’s on the floor in front of her. “Because you’re thinking ‘just need one more seven, just need one more seven, I hope I get a seven’ so loudly that they can probably hear you all the way on Coruscant.”

“Hey, that’s no fair!” The boy cried. “You can’t read my mind!”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s cheating,” Anakin insisted. “And YOU said no cheating.”

“Cheating is just something that breaks the agreed upon rules of the game,” Sienna said. “Did we agree on no mind-reading?”

Anakin opened his mouth, then closed it again, then said, “Well, no, but-”

“No buts,” the woman interrupted. “If you didn’t say that it wasn’t allowed, then you have to assume that someone’s going to try it, and technically they can get away with it.”

Anakin pouted. “But it’s rude.”

“So do something to keep me from reading your mind. I taught you about shields, use them.”

The boy concentrated really hard, and managed to bring up a thin layer of shielding. 

Sienna nodded in approval. “Good. Now instead of accidentally reading your loudly projected thoughts, I have to look for them. I can still see them, though. We should really meditate more often to work on that.”

Anakin groaned, throwing himself dramatically onto his back. “But meditating is sooo boring.”

“At first, yes,” Sienna agreed, “but it’s important.”

“Whatever.” Anakin sat back up. “It’s still your turn, hurry up so I can go.”

“Alright, speeder boy,” Sienna said. “Obi-Wan, got any fives?”

Obi-Wan sighed, handing his cards over.

“Thank you very much.” Sienna placed the four cards on the ground. “Anakin, got any-” she paused. “Ani, mentally shouting ‘BANTHA BUTT’ is _not_ the same as shielding.”

He smirked. “It’s working though.”

Sienna huffed a laugh. “Yes, but it takes a lot more focus than shields do. And if I really wanted to, I could still find out what cards you have. But I’ll play nice. Got any twos?”

Anakin looked down at his cards, then back up at Sienna with a smug expression. “Go fish.”

Sienna took her card from the pile, and Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. “Got any fours?”

Obi-Wan tossed Anakin the last card in his hand. “I’m out. Again.”

“Aww, don’t feel bad, Bee,” Sienna said, reaching over to pat his shoulder. “You’re dealing with two people who learned cards in pitts of gamblers. It’s only natural that we’ll beat you.”

“And I learned cards from Quinlan Vos,” Obi-Wan grumbled. “That man cheats more than he plays by the rules, and I can beat _him_.”

“Hmm. Well, maybe you’ll win next time,” Sienna said. “Now hand over the sweets.”

A beep alerted them to an incoming call on Obi-Wan’s comm. 

“Oh, would you look at that,” Obi-Wan said, standing up, “It seems someone else requires my attention. So sorry, maybe you’ll get your winnings next time.” The Padawan threw a smirk over his shoulder as he exited the room, taking his sweets with him. 

The door slid shut and Obi-Wan flicked his wrist, activating the comm disk. “Master,” he greeted, dipping his head to the little blue figure. “Is everything alright?”

“It seems there has been a change of plans,” Qui-Gon stated without preamble. He looked mildly annoyed.

“Oh? What happened?”

“For starters, the Queen called for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum.”

Obi-Wan’s lips parted in shock. “She did _what_? Why?”

“It seems Senator Palpatine convinced her that it would be the quickest way to get help for Naboo,” Qui-Gon said. “That Valorum is corrupt, and that a new Chancellor would be better.”

“Well, they are politicians, they’re all corrupt in one way or another, but how in the galaxy is that going to matter for Naboo at this moment?”

“It seems even she does not have an answer to that question,” Qui-Gon said drily, “because she has decided to return to Naboo and deal with the Trade Federation herself.”

“But we only just got her out of there!”

“I know, Padawan, I know,” Qui-Gon sighed, and even across the hologram, Obi-Wan could sense the older man’s frustration. 

Obi-Wan ran a hand over his jaw. He absently noted the stubble there, and made a mental note to shave sometime soon. “Well, then, what’s the plan?”

“The Jedi Council has ordered us to return with her. Our mission continues.”

“I am still three days out from Coruscant,” Obi-Wan said. “When does she wish to depart?”

“I am presently on her ship and we just entered hyperspace. You will have to turn around and meet us on Naboo.”

Great. This just kept getting better and better. “In orbit, or on the planet?”

“I will give you more details once I have discussed a plan with the Queen.”

“You haven’t done so yet?” Obi-Wan asked incredulously. 

“No.”

“So you are all running back to Naboo without a plan?”

“I am sure a plan will be straightened out in the coming days.”

“Well that’s reassuring,” Obi-Wan said sarcastically. 

“It should be good enough for you, Padawan,” Qui-Gon returned. 

Obi-Wan inclined his head. “Very well. And what about Anakin and Sienna? What are they to do when we reach Naboo?”

Qui-Gon’s expression turned thoughtful, and he remained silent for a moment. Then, his features hardened into a look of determination.

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure he liked the glint in Qui-Gon’s eyes. 

“Anakin will come with us,” Qui-Gon began, and he held up a hand when Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest. “I want him watching my every move. The Council has not decided whether he will become a Jedi, and I suspect they will be as stubborn as always and make some comment about his age. But he is the Chosen One, and he will be trained one way or another. He will learn a great deal simply by observing.”

“But Master,” Obi-Wan said, “you can’t just bring a child into an active warzone.”

“I would hardly call it a ‘warzone.’ He will be in no more danger on the planet than he will be up in orbit.”

Obi-Wan disagreed with that. He suspected that if Sienna was half as good a pilot as she appeared to be, any ship she flew was likely one of the safest places in the galaxy. “He would be safer still on Rodia. There is plenty of time to drop him and Sienna off before I meet up with you.”

Qui-Gon shook his head. “No. Anakin comes with us.”

“I don’t see-” 

“And that is precisely your problem,” Qui-Gon interrupted. “You don’t see. Be mindful of the Living Force, my very young Padawan. There is more at play here.”

Obi-Wan snapped his mouth shut, frustration and a hint of anger curling in his gut. _Why_ wouldn’t Qui-Gon listen to him? Did the man always have to be so stubborn? And what was with his attitude?

Obi-Wan inhaled slowly through his nose, then exhaled, releasing his emotions to the Force. “Fine,” he conceded. “And what of Sienna?”

At this question, the stubborn fire left Qui-Gon’s eyes, and he shrugged his shoulders. “She is welcome to do whatever she feels would be the best use of her time. I will not object to having another Jedi to help us, even if she is from a different Order. But it isn’t necessary for her to come with us, if her injury is not yet healed.”

“She seems to be healing well,” Obi-Wan said.

“Then leave it up to her. But I don’t want to end up having to protect both her and the Queen.”

Obi-Wan bit his tongue to keep from making another sarcastic comment. Qui-Gon was willing to take a nine year-old boy to battle, but a mildly injured Jedi would be a burden? That was just ridiculous. 

“Very well,” he said instead, “I will let her know.”

“Good. And I will be in touch about our plans sometime soon. I will be speaking to the Queen later tonight, and I expect to have the details ironed out within a day or two.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Anything else, Master?”

Qui-Gon shook his head. “That will be all. May the Force be with you, Padawan.”

“And you as well, Master.”

The hologram flickered and disappeared with a click. Obi-Wan sighed heavily, then tucked the communicator into his belt and returned to the room where Anakin and Sienna were waiting. 

The two glanced up as the door slid open and Obi-Wan stepped inside. They were still sitting on the floor, Sienna reshuffling all the cards in preparation for another round. 

"Hey Bee,” she greeted, “how'd the call go?" 

Obi-Wan paused. "Bee?" He echoed. 

Sienna nodded. "Yeah. O _bi_ -Wan Keno _bi_. Bee." 

Obi-Wan tilted his head slightly, considering this. "I suppose that does make sense," he said. As far as nicknames went, his friends usually called him Obi, or even Obes. Bee was a new one. It wasn't something he would have thought up, but it was logical, and he found he didn't mind it.

Sienna hummed. "So, how was the call? I'm guessing that was Jinn?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Right, the call. Yes, that was Qui-Gon. He has informed me that we are to turn the ship around at once and set course for Naboo."

"Why?" Anakin asked. "I thought you guys were on a super duper important mission to Coruscant."

"Yes, well, now we are on a 'super duper important' mission to Naboo,” Obi-Wan said. “The Queen has decided to return to her planet to negotiate with the Trade Federation herself."

"What's a Trade Federation?" Anakin asked. 

"It's a political group," Sienna said. "Don't worry about the details right now, Ani. Let Obi-Wan finish."

Obi-Wan shot her a grateful look. He didn't really feel like trying to explain the whole thing to a kid. Qui-Gon had already worn down his patience in the span of about five minutes, he wasn’t sure how much he could spare to making the issue of the Trade Federation comprehensible to a child. 

Anakin, however, was not impressed. "I'm not a _baby_ ," he said, irritation ringing in his tone. "I want to know what's going on."

Obi-Wan sighed. It seemed he would have to find a little more patience after all. "The Trade Federation has invaded Naboo and is harming the people that live there. The Queen is going back to stop them.”

"But why?" 

Sienna put the cards on the floor in a neat deck. "We can discuss this later. Let Obi-Wan finish." 

"But-" 

"Anakin."

The boy stopped talking, but the Force echoed with his discontent.

Sienna nodded to Obi-Wan to continue. 

"As I was saying, the Queen is returning to Naboo. My Master and I are to assist her in any way necessary, to ensure her safety."

"And what about us?" Sienna asked, gesturing to herself and Anakin. 

Obi-Wan exhaled, a hint of displeasure leaking through his shields. "Qui-Gon wants Anakin to shadow him. The Council has yet to decide whether Anakin may be trained as a Jedi, but he wants Anakin to start watching now." 

" _Ah yes, because it's such a great idea to bring a kid you just met into an active warzone,_ " Sienna said drily in Mando’a. 

Obi-Wan hummed in agreement. " _Not his brightest idea, but I long ago stopped trying to fully understand his ideas_."

"Hey, no fair. You know I don't speak Mandalorian," Anakin whined.

Sienna ignored him. " _And what if I say no?_ " 

She had a look in her eye, a sharp, protective glint that reminded Obi-Wan of freshly polished beskar. He could clearly see the Mando blood in her veins, even if her heritage was by adoption, not genetics. Mandalorians protect their Foundlings, and though Sienna was more of a sibling figure than a parent, she still saw herself as responsible for Anakin's wellbeing. 

" _Then you are welcome to try to argue with Qui-Gon, but I doubt you will be able to sway him. He's a stubborn man."_

Sienna smirked. " _I'm sure I could be the unstoppable force to his immovable object._ "

Obi-Wan snorted. " _That is something I would like to witness._ "

" _You might get to sometime soon,"_ Sienna quipped. Then, more seriously, " _but I guess there isn't really a better solution. Anakin can't just sit on the ship and wait for you guys to clean up the mess on Naboo. And he'll be safer with us than with anyone else. Speaking of which_ ," here she switched back to basic, "what does Jinn expect me to do while you boys are causing trouble?"

"He said you are welcome to do whatever you feel would be the best use of your time. He is not opposed to the idea of a third Jedi helping out, but he is also aware that you are still recovering from your injuries."

"How considerate," Sienna remarked drily. "Was that in concern for my safety, or not wanting me to slow you two down?"

"No comment." 

"Hm." Sienna stood and stretched up on her toes, loosening her muscles after sitting cross-legged on the floor for so long. "Well, time to turn this bird around then. Come on Ani, you should learn how to jump out of and then back into hyperspace."

She made her way to the cockpit, Anakin hot on her heels and sparkling with excitement. Obi-Wan followed behind him. 

Sienna slid into the pilot’s seat and gestured for Anakin to hop onto her lap. She seemed to immediately regret that decision when the boy accidentally elbowed her in the stomach, drawing a pained hiss from between her teeth. “ _Careful_ , Ani.”

“Oops. Sorry.” He set his hands on his lap, locking his elbows to keep them out of jabbing range. 

“Thank you. Now, do you remember which buttons control the hyperdrive?”

Obi-Wan settled into the co-pilot’s chair and watched while Sienna walked Anakin through the process of bringing a ship out of hyperspace. Screens were tapped, buttons were pressed, and then the blue blur around the ship separated into white streaks as the vessel lunged back into the normal plane of reality. 

Anakin’s jaw dropped as the stars snapped into place. He seemed to be speechless for the first time since Obi-Wan had met him. Apparently, jumping out of hyperspace was even more astounding than jumping into it.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Sienna said. 

Anakin could only nod in wonder. 

She gave him a minute to marvel at the universe stretching out around them while she turned the ship around. “Alright, now we’re jumping back into hyperspace. What do we need to do?”

“We need to input the coordinates,” Anakin said. 

“Mm. Do you want to punch them in?”

“Yeah!”

Sienna slowly recited the coordinates while Anakin tapped the navigation screen. 

Obi-Wan frowned. “Wait a moment, those aren’t the coordinates for Naboo.”

“Nope,” Sienna agreed. “They’re for open space _near_ Naboo.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“We’re now three days ahead of Jinn and the Queen. As much as I would _love_ to go galavanting through a swamp with you guys to kill time, I have something a little more productive in mind.”

“And that would be…?”

She smirked. “A surprise.”

Anakin tilted his head back to glance up at her, excitement sparkling in his eyes. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”

“The surprising kind.”

Obi-Wan eyed her suspiciously as she instructed Anakin to make the jump to hyperspace. “Why do I feel like your ‘surprise’ will cause me stress,” he muttered.

She laughed. “Relax, Bee. It’ll be fun.”

“If you say so.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have, at this point, written almost to the end of the cinematic contents of Episode I. Boy did it give me whiplash coming back and giving this chapter one more read through. I forgot how 'far behind' the published version of this fic is compared to what I have written and waiting. If you're curious, as of right now those spliced action scenes near the end of the movie take place in chapter 13. :) 
> 
> As a funny aside, in my desperate attempt to be as medically accurate as possible with Sienna's injury (I even chatted with my nursing major friend to get a professional's opinion), I completely forgot Bacta was a thing. She probably could have been patched up and sent out in a day instead of three, haha.
> 
> Also! I have created a tumblr. I don't really know how tumblr works, but I made a blog for the First Rule universe so that I can post updates and so that you all can ask questions and such. I will also be posting art of Sienna & the squad, and potentially art of some of my other OCs if anyone wants to see them. The blog is: thefirstruleoftimetravel.tumblr.com


	11. Chapter 11

Anakin was so excited for Sienna’s surprise that he could hardly sleep. He lay on his bunk, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what it might be. When Sienna said she had a surprise, it was always something super cool. Like the time she had brought him power converters for his pod-racer, or the time she had found a tooka wandering the desert and brought it back for him to see. 

But they were up in space right now, so it couldn’t be something like that. What could it be?

His imagination kept him up long into the night cycle, and when he did eventually manage to fall asleep it was only to wake again two hours later with tears in his eyes and a terrible ache in his chest. 

He missed his mom. 

The first few days of freedom had been so new and exciting that he had slept well and hadn’t even thought about her. But now it had been a week, and everything was still new and exciting, but it was also becoming familiar. For the first time since leaving Tatooine, he had a dream about home, about Kitster and Watto and podracing, but most of all about his mother. She was singing that song she liked, the one about rain in the desert, while he tinkered with C-3PO. 

Anakin sat up, wrapping his arms around himself. He shivered, the chill of space reaching him even through the extra blanket Sienna had found for him. He tugged the covers up to his chin, trying to keep the heat in, but it escaped out the back of his blanket no matter how much he tried to keep the edges over his shoulders. 

He wanted his mom. But she wasn’t here. 

The boy sniffled and rubbed his nose in the blanket. He needed a hug. 

Anakin slipped out of bed and padded to the door to his little room, taking the blanket with him. It was quite long, and the edges dragged on the floor as he wrapped it around his shoulders like a cape. The door whooshed open when Anakin waved at it, and he poked his head out into the hallway. It was mostly dark, lit only by the soft glow of the safety lights, and it was completely quiet save for the hum of the ship itself. He reached out into the Force, trying to feel for Sienna and see if she was awake. He noticed two presences: Sienna’s spikey, sturdy one, and Obi-Wan’s quiet, fizzy one. 

Obi-Wan’s force-signature was confusing to Anakin. It was bright, like Sienna’s and Qui-Gon’s -- Sienna had said that Force-sensitive people feel brighter than Force-null people -- but it was also quiet in a way that Anakin didn’t know how to describe. Sienna’s signature was always swirling with splashes of shapes and colors, impressions and emotions. She didn’t project her feelings, not like Anakin did, but if you looked they were always right there where he could read them. That was one of his favorite things about the Force. It was like an extra way of seeing or hearing. He could watch Sienna’s face and listen to her words to learn how she was feeling, but he could also sense the colors in the Force around her. He liked that. Words and expressions could be confusing, because sometimes you don’t have good words to say how you feel, but the Force was clear. It was like a universal language. 

But Obi-Wan’s signature wasn’t like that. Anakin never knew what Obi-Wan was feeling. There weren’t bright colors in his Force-signature. His was like a pod-racing track when no one was there, quiet in a way that felt strange and disorienting. Every now and then Anakin would notice a sharp spike of orange frustration, or a splash of pink amusement, but they would last only a second and disappear again. Like a light flashing through a crack in a wall, just enough to catch your attention but not there long enough to be a proper source of light. 

Anakin wondered if maybe Obi-Wan was doing shields wrong. Sienna said that shields were to keep your thoughts to yourself, so that people couldn’t read them. Maybe Obi-Wan accidentally made it so that his shields hid his feelings too. Maybe he didn’t realize he had done it wrong. That was ok, everybody makes mistakes. Maybe Anakin should alert Obi-Wan to this mistake, so that he could fix his shields and let the colors out into his Force-signature. 

The other thing Anakin noticed was that Obi-Wan always felt a little bit fizzy. He felt strong, like Sienna did, and they both were quick and smart, but while Sienna felt sure and sturdy, Obi-Wan felt just a little bit unsure. Like he knew he could do things, but also was always afraid to do them wrong. And like he was always waiting for something bad to happen. There was just a hint of fizzy energy on the edge of Obi-Wan’s signature almost all the time. Anakin knew what that was like, he felt like that whenever he was at Watto’s shop or out walking through Mos Espa. He didn’t feel fizzy when Sienna walked with him though, or when he was at home with his mom. Maybe Obi-Wan felt fizzy because he was alone here without his friends and without Mister Qui-Gon. But Sienna was strong and smart and safe, and Obi-Wan didn’t need to worry, because she could fix anything. Perhaps Anakin should tell him that too. It seemed like Sienna and Obi-Wan got along well, so maybe they would be friends and then Obi-Wan wouldn’t have to be fizzy anymore. 

Obi-Wan’s force-signature dimmed somewhat, and Anakin realized he must have fallen asleep. Which reminded him that he himself wasn’t asleep, and that the reason he wasn’t asleep was because he missed his mom, and that he wanted a hug, and therefore needed to find Sienna. 

He stepped out into the hallway. The door whooshed closed behind him. Anakin took a few steps forward, intending to go to Sienna’s room and knock on her door, but a sharp tug made him fall on his butt. Startled, he looked behind him, and saw that his blanket had gotten caught in the door when it shut. 

Normally that would not be a big deal. But Anakin was tired and stressed and homesick and cold, and his blanket getting stuck was the last straw. The tears that had been drying started up again, flowing down his cheeks in thick streams, and he curled up in a ball on the floor and cried.

A door down the hall hissed open. 

“Ani?” Sienna’s voice, soft and thick with sleep, floated down the hall. 

He didn’t bother looking up, instead choosing to curl up even more tightly.

Soft, almost silent footsteps padded over and came to a stop next to him. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he shivered under the warm touch. 

“Ani, what’s wrong?” 

He peeked out from under the arm he had tucked over his face. Sienna was crouching beside him, brow furrowed in worry and Force-signature echoing it. 

“I miss my mom,” he whimpered. He was too tired to think about the fact that he looked like a baby, all teary and sniffly on the floor. 

Sienna’s expression softened, and she reached over and started rubbing soothing circles on his back. “I know, kiddo. Are you having trouble sleeping?”

A nod. 

“Do you want to come sleep with me tonight? Would that help?”

He nodded again, then paused. “What about your belly?”

That earned a soft laugh. “Don’t worry about that.”

She lifted her other hand and he heard another whoosh, and then she tugged him up onto his feet. His blanket had been freed from the door. 

They walked to Sienna’s room, which was exactly the same as Anakin’s room, except that her armor was piled in one corner. He climbed onto the bunk and tried to untangle his blanket, but ultimately gave up and let Sienna straighten it out. When that was done, she flicked off the lights with a wave of her hand and settled on the bunk too, lying on the outward facing side with her back to the door, sandwiching Anakin in the space between the wall and her body. 

If anything came through the door, it would have to go through Sienna before getting to Anakin, and that made him feel safe. 

Sienna lifted an arm, inviting Anakin in to snuggle, and he gladly shuffled closer. He was careful with his knees, to make sure he didn’t jab her stitches like he had with his elbow earlier. 

“Good night,  _ vod’ika _ ,” she whispered. 

That was a Mando word Anakin knew. Little brother. He hummed, nestling closer to absorb more of her warmth. 

He still missed his mom. But here, he felt like everything was going to be ok. 

* * *

_ “I will train him then.” _

_ Sienna turned and found herself in a room she had never seen before. She stood at the edge of the chamber, near the door. Around the room were several chairs, occupied by beings she had never met, but all were clad in traditional Jedi robes. In the center of the room stood three people she recognized- Qui-Gon the farthest from her, Obi-Wan standing in a Padawan’s traditional place behind and to the right of his Master, and Anakin just in front of both.  _

_ Qui-Gon stepped forward and rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “I take Anakin as my Padawan Learner.” _

_ Sienna felt something sharp in the Force, like a spear burrowing through flesh. It was gone as soon as it appeared, yanked back behind shields of durasteel, but Obi-Wan’s eyes betrayed him. The Force whispered, dragging Sienna closer, though her feet hadn’t moved. _

Look _ , the Force insisted.  _ See _.  _

_ She stared into Obi-Wan’s eyes. She’d never noticed what color they were, but this close she could see the many shades of blue and grey. An overwhelming feeling of pain, confusion, and panic crashed over her.  _

What is he doing? _ Obi-Wan’s voice echoed in her mind.  _ He can’t- what about me? __

_ And then she was no longer looking at Obi-Wan’s eyes, but through them. She  _ was _ Obi-Wan, with all of his thoughts and feelings. He tightened his fingers around his wrists where they were hidden in his sleeves, willing his posture to remain calm and humble. A thousand anxious thoughts were flitting through his mind, swimming around and around within his shields, like frenzied sharks trapped in a fishtank.  _

“ _ He doesn’t want me anymore,” one of the sharks hissed. It lashed its tail and dove to Obi-Wan’s chest, its fins cutting through the bones of his ribcage and into his heart. Rejection dripped from the wounds, thick and sticky, oozing like blood off a knife. _

_ “He never did _ ,”  _ replied another shark, and it joined the first, slicing fresh marks as it swam.  _

_A different shark, this one calmer, swam in lazy circles. “The Council won’t allow this_ ,” _it whispered. “They’ll tell him no. He already has a Padawan.”_ _The shark swam to a corner of Obi-Wan’s mind, to where he and Qui-Gon were tethered together by a training bond. It hovered there a moment, hesitating. It wanted to send a question mark, but it wasn’t sure it should._

_ “An apprentice you have, Qui-Gon,” said a little green Jedi. “Impossible to take on a second.” _

_ “The Code forbids it,” agreed the man to his left. _

_ “Obi-Wan is ready,” Qui-Gon said. _

_ “I am ready to face the trials.” Obi-Wan stepped forward boldly, quick to support his Master, and also eager to prove (perhaps to himself) that he wasn’t merely being cast aside. He  _ was _ ready.  _

_ “Our own council we will keep on who is ready.” _

_ Obi-Wan clasped his hands together again, trying to hide the sting of that statement. Did the Council not think he was ready?  _

_ “He is headstrong, and he has much to learn of the Living Force, but he is capable,” Qui-Gon said. _

_ Obi-Wan bowed his head as his Master spoke, feeling his heart sink lower with every word. That was hardly a raving review of his abilities.  _

_ “There is little more he can learn from me,” Qui-Gon finished.  _

_Obi-Wan glanced up._ Oh, Master, are you really so desperate to get rid of me? _He wondered to himself._ _Qui-Gon’s words were a cop-out, tinged with desperation to get his own way and ensure the boy would be trained. They weren’t the words of a Master advocating for the prowess of their Padawan._

_ Qui-Gon glanced back as well, perhaps sensing some of Obi-Wan’s feelings, but he said nothing over the bond. No word of comfort or encouragement, just the steel of stubborn determination.  _

_ “Young Skywalker’s fate will be decided later,” said the green Jedi.  _

_ “Now is not the time for this,” the other man said, again picking up where the first had left off.  _

_ Obi-Wan was barely listening now, and barely holding himself together. He took a deep breath, but the sharks in his chest dug their fins deeper.  _

_ He would not cry in front of the Council. He would NOT. He focused every ounce of his energy towards keeping his shields locked tight and keeping his posture more or less collected while the Council members spoke of the continuing mission. _

_ “May the Force be with you,” the green Jedi said by way of dismissal.  _

_ Obi-Wan bowed to the Council and strode out of the room as quickly as he could manage without being disrespectful. He wasn’t fleeing. He WASN’T.  _

_ But he also couldn’t stand to be in that room another second.  _

_ “See,” the calm shark murmured as the door whooshed shut, “the Council won’t have it.” _

_ “Doesn’t matter,” cried the two in Obi-Wan’s chest, “doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want me. He never wanted me. I tried to please him, but I wasn’t enough. This boy, this boy has done nothing, and yet Qui-Gon wants him. I tried, I tried. I’m not enough. Never enough. He doesn’t want me.” _

_ The blood on the two sharks’ fins dripped into a pool that grew and stretched into the shape of another shark. “That boy,” hissed the new red shark, “what has he done to earn Qui-Gon’s approval? He’s no one. Why should Qui-Gon love him?” _

_ “The boy is dangerous,” mused the calm one. “The Council agrees.”  _

_ The red one gnashed its teeth. “The boy is nothing, no one. He’s not even a Jedi youngling. How dare he take my Master from me?” _

_ Obi-Wan shook his head, trying to dispel the red shark, ashamed of thinking such thoughts. It shrunk back, but didn’t disappear entirely. It moved to a shadowy corner of his mind to lay wait.  _

_ He took a breath, and tried to release the two blue ones as well. He offered them up to the Force, but the sharks slipped through it like sand through fingers and burrowed back into his chest.  _

_ “He doesn’t love you,” they whimpered.  _

_ “Be quiet,” Obi-Wan snapped. He pushed them away, deeper within himself, under a trapdoor of durasteel. Their cries became dim murmurings.  _

Sienna awoke with a gasp, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Anakin snuffled against her collarbone and she instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around him. Her chest still ached with the pain of the dream, but the feeling slowly faded as she breathed and remembered herself. 

What  _ was _ that? Was it a vision of some kind? 

The Force lapped against her conscious.  _ Don't worry,  _ it murmured.  _ Don’t worry.  _

Sienna huffed at that.  _ If you don’t want me to worry, don’t show me worrying things. _

She could have sworn she heard the Force chuckle. She made a face, glaring into the dark, but the Force just lapped against her mind again and swept away the last of the ache. 

“I hope you don’t make a habit of this,” she muttered, resting her chin on Anakin’s hair and letting her eyelids drift shut. Visions weren’t her thing. She’d rather leave that to the Masters, let them puzzle out the nonsensical images and vague messages. 

The Force simply chuckled again. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! A couple of folks have asked me questions about chapter 9, so I have added a brief note to the end of that chapter. Thanks for reaching out! I am always happy to chat and answer questions about my stories. :)

"As soon as we land, the Federation will arrest you and force you to sign the treaty."

"I agree," Qui-Gon said. "I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish by this."

"I will take back what's ours," Padmé stated. Her resolve had not waned in the slightest since standing in the senate building a few hours ago. In fact, with every passing hour it only grew, plans forming in her mind. She didn't need the Force to sense Qui-Gon's disapproval of her actions, nor to detect the hint of condescension that he hid behind his mask of professionalism. That side of him had reared its head a number of times in Handmaiden Padmé's presence. He thought her foolish. But he did not have all the information that she did, and in this moment she secretly took pleasure in holding that above him.

She had not been elected Queen because she was stupid.

"There are too few of us, Your Highness," Captain Panaka said. "We have no army."

"And I can only protect you," Qui-Gon said. "I can't fight a war for you."

Padmé met his gaze with her own cool one.

Time to pull out her card.

"Jar Jar Binks," she commanded.

"Who, meesa, Your Highness?" Jar Jar asked, stalk eyes blinking in surprise.

Qui-Gon looked surprised as well, and he turned to glance at the Gungan.

"Yes," Padmé said. "I need your help."

That earned incredulous looks from everyone in the room.

"Meesa would be glad to be a helpin' yousa," Jar Jar said.

"Good. You said the Gungans have an army, correct?"

"Oh yes. Muy muy grand army." Jar Jar bobbed his head, his ears to flapping comically.

"How hard would it be to convince your people to join us?"

"Uh," Jar Jar blinked, tilting his head. "The bosses no be likin' the Naboo. Theysa be verrrrry stubborn."

"But if we _could_ convince them, would your army be enough to fight the invasion?"

"You can't be serious," Captain Panaka said. "Your Highness, the Gungans have been in opposition to the Naboo for decades."

"I am serious, Captain," Padmé said coolly. "And I would not call it opposition so much as a mutual ignoring of one another."

"Mutual ignorings can be difficult to change," Qui-Gon commented.

Padmé turned her look to him. "I thought Jedi were supposed to be expert negotiators."

"Yes, but we are not magicians."

"Perhaps that is why you failed in your initial mission to negotiate with the Trade Federation."

Captain Panaka sucked in a breath. The guard near the door openly stared in shock.

Padmé kept her gaze trained on Qui-Gon. The man blinked and his lips thinned, but those were the only outward signs that he recognized the weight of her insult. For a moment, she thought he might argue with her. But then he seemed to change tactic, and he bowed.

"And I am sorry to have failed in that mission," he said, tone sincere.

Whether he was actually sorry or just apologizing to appease her, Padmé couldn't tell. But she gave the slightest of nods in acknowledgement. She could be petty and still be proper.

"We will seek out the Gungan rulers," Padmé stated. "Jar Jar will lead us to them, and I will negotiate for their assistance."

"And we will come with you, to ensure your safety," Qui-Gon said.

Captain Panaka nodded. "I will inform the men."

"Very well," Padmé said. "And where is your partner, Master Jedi? Will he be joining us?"

"Obi-Wan will meet us on Naboo."

Captain Panaka frowned. "Two ships will draw more attention than one. We'll be cutting our chances of success almost in half."

"I am confident in my Padawan's ability to arrive undetected."

"I do not wish to take any unnecessary risks," Padmé said.

"It would be far riskier to not have him join us," Qui-Gon said. "Your attacker is far more powerful than we initially thought. Having two Jedi will be both a deterrent for him and a greater protection for you. And with all due respect, going back to Naboo in the first place is quite a risk in and of itself. The risk involved in Obi-Wan's arrival is negligible."

Captain Panaka had an expression caught between agreeing with some of the Jedi's points and disagreeing with others.

"We have gone in a circle," Padmé said dismissively. "We will reclaim our planet. Let us reconvene tomorrow to discuss more of the details of how we will go about doing so."

"Of course, Your Highness."

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

Sienna groaned. "Anakin, if you ask me that one more time I will find a way to fill your boots with sand despite being in space."

"But I'm bored," he whined.

"Why don't you draw some more ships?"

"I don't want to draw more ships."

"Then play a card game."

"I don't want to play a card game."

"Then meditate."

"I don't want to meditate."

"Then go bother Obi-Wan."

"No thanks," an accented voice floated in from the other room. "I'm all set."

Sienna glared in the direction of the hall.

Anakin huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm bored," he insisted again.

"Anakin, I don't know what to tell you. I don't have anything else for you to do. You can draw, or play with cards, or practice the stretches I taught you. We'll be in open space tomorrow, and we'll be on Naboo two days after that, but until then you're just gonna have to find a way to keep yourself occupied."

"What about your lightsaber?" Anakin asked. "Can I play with that?"

"Absolutely not. We do not practice with lightsabers in a small ship."

"Why not?"

"Because there isn't enough space. You could damage the ship."

"Then can I take it apart and see how it works?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Sienna released a frustrated sigh. She was trying to brush up on the current events of the galaxy so that she could avoid any more slips of the tongue. There were only so many times she could make comments like 'this ship is nice for an antique' before people started thinking she was insane, or before she gave away something that would alter the timeline. "You know what, why don't you go take apart the dejarik table? That'll be more interesting than my lightsaber."

Anakin's eyes lit up. "Really?

"Sure, knock yourself out. Here, you can even use my multitool." She reached into a pouch on her belt and tossed the little item to him. "Just make sure you give it back when you're done."

"I will! Thanks Sienna!" Anakin turned and dashed out of the room, his Force-signature aglow with mischief.

It was probably a bad idea to encourage Anakin to take things apart on a ship that the Jedi Order was only borrowing. But Sienna decided that was not her problem.

* * *

"Sienna."

The woman sighed. "Anakin, I'm trying to meditate."

"I'm bored again."

"Hi bored again, I'm Sienna."

Anakin huffed. "Can we play cards?"

"Not right now. I'm meditating."

"Hi meditating, I'm Anakin."

Sienna cracked open an eye. Anakin stood a few feet away, shifting restlessly.

An idea popped into her mind, and she gestured with the Force to activate the ship's internal comm system. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, your presence is requested in the cockpit. Obi-Wan Kenobi, to the cockpit please."

The door whooshed open not even a minute later. "Did you need som- oof!"

Obi-Wan's words were cut off by Sienna Force-pushing Anakin into him. The Padawan instinctively caught him, arms wrapping around Anakin's shoulders.

"Awww, look at that, Anakin and Obi-Wan bonding time. Have fun!"

"Wait, wha-"

But Sienna Force-pushed them both out into the hall and shut the door with a smirk.

Obi-Wan stared at the closed door, then looked down at the boy still in his arms. Anakin craned his neck back to look up at Obi-Wan.

"Can we play cards?"

The Padawan sighed.

* * *

The fourth day after turning around found Anakin lying on his stomach, nibbling on a ration bar and tinkering with the dejarik table again, when Sienna's voice came over the intercom.

"Gooooood morning boys. It's shaping up to be one _surprising_ day. If all passengers would kindly make their way to the cockpit, that would be much appreciated."

Anakin leapt to his feet, letting the multitool fall abandoned to the ground, and raced to the cockpit.

"What's the surprise?" He demanded, skidding to a halt beside Sienna's seat.

Obi-Wan wandered in a moment later, brows lifted in a slightly curious expression.

"The surprise..." Sienna began, punching some buttons and pulling the ship out of hyperspace. The stars snapped into place, and the ship coasted along in a vast, empty area. "..is that you're gonna learn how to really fly a ship."

Anakin's face lit up, eyes wide and mouth open. "Really?!"

"Really." Sienna grinned at him. She stood from the pilot's seat and swept a hand towards it in invitation.

The boy wasted no time scrambling up into it. His hands hovered over the control panel, excitement radiating from every cell in his body. "Wizard!"

Obi-Wan discretely fastened his seatbelt.

Sienna noticed anyway and smirked at him before turning her full attention to Anakin. "Alright, I've taught you a lot of the logistics, but practice is what really makes a good pilot. And flying out here in space is a lot different than on a planet, where you've got gravity and air resistance and all that. I want you to start off slow- just nudge the ship forward a little bit."

Anakin pushed the stick forward. The ship shot through space, almost sending Sienna falling backwards, but she caught herself on the backrest of the seat.

"Woah, too much, too much. Easy on the controls kiddo."

Anakin pulled the stick back, and Obi-Wan was flung against his seatbelt.

"Oops. Sorry." The boy glanced at both of the Padawans sheepishly.

"It's ok, that's why we're practicing out here where there's nothing to crash into. Try again. A little less pressure. This isn't a pod race, this is flying. You don't need to take off running."

Anakin nodded, and pushed the stick forward again, much more gently.

"That's it. Remember, out in space there's no resistance, a little bit goes a long way. Stop pushing, and see what happens."

Anakin let go of the stick. The ship kept coasting forward. "Wizard."

"Mm. If you want to stop completely, you'll have to reverse the thrusters just a bit in order to counteract your forward motion. Like you did the first time, but less aggressively. Try it."

They spent a few minutes like that, Anakin practicing going forwards and stopping at different speeds. When Sienna was satisfied with his amateaur skills, she moved on to the next lesson.

"Alright, let's practice turning. A ship doesn't turn level like a speeder or pod, it tilts. If you tilt too much, your passengers are gonna fall over and slide all over the place, and they'll probably be very grumpy about it. But if you were to take the time to have a perfect, level turn, it would take forever. You have to find a balance depending on your situation."

Anakin practiced turning for a bit. The motions were jerky at first, but he gradually got better at gauging how much to tilt. He flew in wide figure eights, dipping around the loops. "This is sooo cool."

Sienna grinned. "Yup. Flying's the best. Think you've got the hang of the basics?"

Anakin nodded.

"Alright then, hop up for a minute. I have another spot to take us."

The boy obliged, hopping out of the seat so that Sienna could take his place and make the jump to hyperspace. Twenty minutes later found them leaping out into an asteroid field.

Obi-Wan shot Sienna a look of alarm. She ignored it.

"Am I gonna fly here?" Anakin asked, eyes wide.

"You bet. We drove circles 'round the parking lot, time to get out on the street. This is a tame field, the rocks are spread out. I even coulda gotten you started here and you would've been fine, but I wanted you to get a feel for the controls first. Now" -she leaned forward, one arm around the back of the seat and the other pointing out the viewscreen- "I'm gonna direct you around the rocks, and I want you to follow the path I tell you. Got it?"

"Got it!"

Two hours of dodging and weaving went by in a blink. Sienna called for a lunch break, then brought everyone back for lesson three: shooting.

She familiarized Anakin with the different controls and showed him how to read the targeting computer. She demonstrated what it looked like to use them, shooting a couple of smaller asteroids herself before having Anakin give it a try. "Pick which rock you want to try and shoot. Alright, now look at the targeting computer, wait till it turns green.. Now!"

Anakin jammed his thumbs into the buttons and two streaks of light leapt forth from the ship's guns. The asteroid exploded with a plume of grit.

"YES!" Anakin punched the air. "I did it! Did you see that? I exploded the asteroid!"

"Nice job!" Sienna ruffled his hair. "We're gonna practice that for a bit. Find another."

And so they continued. When Anakin had turned quite a few asteroids to dust, Sienna leaned over and turned off the targeting computer.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?"

"Sometimes your targeting computer will malfunction, or break, or not be fast enough. Luckily, you've got one built into your head." She tapped his temple gently. "The Force."

Anakin frowned, looking out at the asteroids. He tried to shoot a couple, but the shots went wide and completely missed.

"You're thinking too hard. Feel, Ani. Like in a podrace, do you think about avoiding things falling off of other pods, or do you just feel and react?"

"I feel them coming."

"Right. I want you to try to feel for the asteroid. Feel when your guns are lined up with it. Then shoot."

Anakin tried, again and again, but he couldn't seem to hit the asteroids. As the minutes ticked by, his frustration grew.

"I can't do it!" Anakin shouted, slamming his fists down on the edge of the console. "It doesn't work, the stupid Force isn't working."

Sienna took a deep breath through her nose, trying to release her own frustration for her inability to help Anakin understand.

"May I offer a suggestion?" Obi-Wan asked, speaking up for the first time.

Sienna nodded. "Be my guest."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan called.

The boy glared over at him.

"I'm going to try to teach you another way. Are you willing to try it?"

A nod.

"Alright. I want you to close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel the chair beneath you. What does it feel like?"

"Isn't this meditating?" The boy asked, cracking open a suspicious eye.

Obi-Wan's lip quirked up in amusement. "Yes, but I'm going to show you how to use it to hit the asteroid."

"Hm."

"Close your eyes."

Anakin cast him one more suspicious look, then did as instructed.

"Alright. Feel your chair. How does it feel?"

"Cold. Hard."

"Good. What about the air? How does the air feel?"

"Ummm it doesn't feel like anything."

"Really focus on the skin of your hands and your face. They'll show you how it feels."

Anakin took a moment, face scrunching slightly. "Cold-ish."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to imagine yourself stretching out your senses to feel other things. Your limbs are like tendrils that can reach any part of the room."

"Like a sarlaac?"

"Sure, like a sarlaac. Reach out those tendrils and feel them brushing over the controls, over the floor and the walls, and then _through_ the walls. You can feel every part of the ship, see everything in the rooms and the cupboards. Can you see them?"

"I see my room!"

"Excellent. Now feel around and find the guns. Feel them, and feel where they are in relation to you. Are they exactly below your chair?"

"No. They're a little to the side."

"Good. Now stretch out across space, out of the ship. Feel everything around the ship, all the asteroids. Feel how big they are, and how far away they are. Feel if they're solid or hollow. Feel what angle they are positioned at in relation to you."

Anakin's face had relaxed by now, and he nodded slightly. "I feel them."

"Now find one you want to target. Imagine a laser beam pointing from your guns across space. You want that beam to line up with the asteroid. Nudge the ship around until the laser is perfectly focused on the asteroid."

Anakin wrapped a hand around the stick, eyes still closed, and moved the ship slightly.

"You may shoot whenever you're ready."

Another second passed, and then the ship rumbled as it released two charges.

The asteroid exploded.

Anakin's eyes flew open. "I did it! And I could _feel_ the asteroid explode."

Obi-Wan smiled at him. "You did well. With time you will be able to do that in less than a second, but that was a very good shot."

Anakin beamed, soaking up the praise.

"I think that's good for today," Sienna said. "Let's end on a high note."

The boy's face instantly fell. "Aww. But I'm just getting good at it."

"Don't you want dinner?"

"Dinner?" Anakin echoed, brightening.

Sienna laughed. "Scoot, brat. I gotta bring us back to open space. How about you go get some food out?"

"Ok!"

She shooed Anakin out of the chair and he skipped off to the galley.

"Thanks for helping there," Sienna said to Obi-Wan while she input the coordinates.

Obi-Wan offered a smile. "It was my pleasure. You're a good teacher, you know."

"I try. It helps that he's a fast learner." The ship leapt forward into hyperspace. "But.." she sighed, and her lips twisting in a frown. "I wish I was better. He should have a Knight training him. I'm only 5 years into my own training, you can't count the year I've been on Tatooine. There's a lot I don't know, and a lot that I just kinda learned by trial and error and instinct. I don't have all the foundational technical skills. Like what you did, walking him through stretching out his senses? I wouldn't be able to phrase it that way. I've been sensing the world around me for as long as I can remember, and I'm good enough at it that I guess Calian never thought to walk me through an exercise like that."

Obi-Wan hummed thoughtfully. "If Qui-Gon has his way, Anakin will be trained by someone in the Order."

Sienna cast him a sideways glance. "What're the odds of Qui-Gon getting his way?"

Obi-Wan snorted. "If he's set his mind to it, I doubt he will take no for an answer."

Sienna nodded. Not a guarantee then, but a pretty good shot, if Jinn was as stubborn as he looked.

The older Padawan's comm beeped, and he glanced down at it with a smirk. "Speaking of Qui-Gon."

"Hah. Better answer that. You can stay in here, I'll go make sure Anakin hasn't made a mess of our dinner."

Obi-Wan laughed. "Alright then. I'll see you in a few minutes, hopefully."

"Have fun!" She called over her shoulder.

The door slid shut behind her, and Obi-Wan held out his palm.

"Padawan."

"Hello, Master."

"You will be happy to hear that I have a plan to share with you." Qui-Gon smirked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Oh? And here I had just begun to get attached to the idea of improvising the entire thing."

"Attachments are forbidden, Padawan."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Indeed. So what is this plan of yours?"

"Queen Amidala is going to attempt to negotiate with the Gungans for the support of their army. We will be landing our ship somewhere in the swamps, and I suggest you do the same. The droid gunships have already plowed a number of clearings large enough for a small ship. You are to meet up with us, and then Jar Jar will lead us back to the Gungan city. If all goes well, the Gungan army will draw the attention of the droid army and thus bring them out of the city and away from the Nubian people. You and I, along with the Queen and her guard, will work to infiltrate the capital and capture Newt Gunray. "

Obi-Wan rested a knuckle against his lips, considering this plan. "How large is the Gungan army?"

Qui-Gon smirked. "According to Jar Jar, it is of 'grand' size."

"So we have absolutely no idea what their numbers are."

"An astute observation, my young Padawan."

Obi-Wan gave a wry smile. "So in sum, we have very little manpower and the entire operation is riding on the Gungan bosses having a sudden change of heart in their attitudes towards the Naboo."

"Indeed."

"Well then, this should be easy."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Be prepared to improvise."

"I always am," Obi-Wan responded. "Someone's got to get us out of the messes we always seem to find ourselves in."

"You do seem to be a magnet for trouble," Qui-Gon agreed cheerfully.

"Me? You're the one who insists on being an old maverick."

"I follow the will of the Living Force."

Obi-Wan snorted. "You'd follow it into a sarlaac pit and say getting eaten was part of the plan."

"And you would wander out into a swamp and nearly get eaten _without_ the Force's prompting."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. "It's been a few days and already you're using that one against me?"

"Of course. I would be remiss as a Master if I didn't poke a little fun about that."

"Hm. Anything else?"

"One more thing," Qui-Gon said, a true smile tugging his own lips. "I have recommended you for the Trials."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "You.. I…" He stumbled over his words, not sure what to say.

Qui-Gon's smile grew. "You are ready, Obi-Wan. You have been a good apprentice. You are skilled and smart, and more than capable of handling yourself. Of course, you are also stubborn and hard-headed" -Obi-Wan glared at him, only furthering Qui-Gon's amusement- "and you have much to learn of the Living Force, but you have earned the right to complete the Trials. There is little more you will learn from me."

"I.. don't know what to say. Thank you, Master."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. You have challenged me and taught me in more ways than you know. It will be my honor to serve beside Knight Kenobi."

Obi-Wan bowed deeply to the little hologram. "And it will be my honor to serve beside you as a Knight."

"I will see you soon, Obi-Wan. May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Master."

The image flickered and disappeared as Qui-Gon cut the connection. Obi-Wan stared at the disk for another minute or two, processing what had just happened.

He'd been recommended for the Trials.

He was going to be a Knight.

_He was going to be a Knight!_

It was all he had ever wanted, from the time he was a tiny youngling. And now his dreams were coming true.

He broke into a huge grin and practically skipped to the galley.

"What's got you glowing like that?" Sienna asked, looking up as he entered.

"I'm going to be a Knight," Obi-Wan said, voice filled with awe. "Qui-Gon's recommended me for the Trials."

"That's awesome, Bee! Congrats!"

"Wow, you're gonna be a real Jedi Knight?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan laughed. "Well, I still have to actually _pass_ the Trials."

"'Course you'll pass," Sienna said. "You're amazing."

Anakin nodded in enthusiastic agreement, and Obi-Wan laughed again, a sound of wonder and joy wrapped into one.

He was going to be a Knight.


	13. Chapter 13

"Approaching Naboo in three… two… one…"— Sienna shoved a lever forward and the ship leapt out of hyperspace —"And entering the atmosphere."

She flicked a few switched, raising the shields and activating the viewscreen dimmer to prevent them all from going blind.

"That was a bit close," Obi-Wan commented cheerfully. "Any nearer and we would have leapt out into the atmosphere itself and exploded."

Sienna smirked. "I'm sure you would have appreciated a dramatic entrance like that."

"No sense in being dull," he agreed.

Sienna maneuvered the ship down through the atmosphere, dropping through the clouds. The vast Nubian Jungle came into view, an emerald landscape that sprawled out as far as the eye could see. "Alright Bee, better pick a spot quick, before we're spotted."

"Over there." He pointed towards the jungle. "That's about where the gunships landed the first time I was here. There should be a space where the trees have been mowed down."

"Got it."

Anakin craned his neck, sitting up in his seat as tall as he could. "Wow! There's even more trees than on Rodia!"

His comment went unacknowledged. He could feel the tense concentration swirling around both Padawans as they aimed to land before being detected by the Trade Federation. Trees raced by in a blur of deep green, almost brushing the belly of the ship. Anakin wondered how they would feel to touch. They looked soft, almost fuzzy, like a plush rug. He had no idea trees could grow so thick together—in the swamps, they had been more or less spaced out in clusters, but here there were so many that he couldn't even see the ground.

"Do you think you should slow down a bit?" Obi-Wan asked, eyeing the proximity of the treetops with mild unease.

"Slowing down is for the weak," Sienna quipped, nudging the ship just a bit faster. "Everyone hang on, we're gonna stop pretty short."

"Wait! Go back a bit, there's a natural clearing in the jungle just off our wing, it'll be better than the places the droids cleared."

"I see it." Sienna banked hard right and then dropped the ship down into the clearing. They landed with a muffled thud.

She released a breath. "We made it, boys. Welcome to the jungle."

"Do you think they saw us?" Anakin asked.

"I doubt it. We came out of hyperspace so close to the atmosphere that they wouldn't have had time to detect us before we dropped off their scanners. And I scrambled our frequency to look like a vulture droid, so even if they did see us, they'd have thought we were one of theirs."

"But can't they just use their eyes to see we're not a droid?" Anakin asked skeptically.

"If they were looking, sure, but no one does that. That's the nice thing about scanners—they can be fooled."

Obi-Wan tapped a message to Qui-Gon, letting him know they had landed. He received a response only a second later. "They've just entered the atmosphere," he relayed to Sienna. "They'll be landing in a few minutes."

"Were they spotted?"

"Well, they certainly didn't try any of your fancy tricks," Obi-Wan said with a smirk, "so probably."

"Clock's ticking then." She tugged at the straps on her vambraces, making sure they were secure. "Anakin, be ready to run, and make sure to stick close to me and Obi-Wan."

The boy huffed. "I know, you already told me a hundred times."

They had spent the evening yesterday going over the plan (or what they had of it so far) and both Sienna and Obi-Wan had taken great care to make sure Anakin understood the importance of staying close to them and following orders.

"Well now I've told you a hundred and one times."

The trio moved to the loading bay. Sienna's hand hovered over the activation button for the door, her other hand hovering by her blaster. A minute passed.

Ping.

"I've got the coordinates," Obi-Wan announced.

"Then let's go." Sienna jabbed the button.

Obi-Wan went first, jumping down from the ship and dashing off into the thick underbrush. He moved swiftly and quietly, ducking under branches and easily avoiding roots and thorns. Anakin was next, and far less graceful than the Padawan. He stumbled over sticks and got smacked by stray branches, and generally made quite a bit of noise. Sienna, who was bringing up the rear, grabbed his shirt and yanked him back to his feet several times without even slowing her own pace.

Anakin decided that trees were not, in fact, soft like a rug. And running in a jungle was possibly as bad as running across the desert. At least a desert didn't have thorns and vines and other things trying to knock him off his feet. But then again, a jungle didn't have sand, and after a moment of consideration he decided that no amount of tricky roots was as bad as sand.

The thorns though… Hm, he'd have to think long and hard about that one. Thorns were pretty bad.

It took about ten minutes for them to reach the little clearing where the Nubian cruiser was parked. Qui-Gon stood a few meters away from the ship, scanning the jungle for signs of droids or other dangers. He turned as they approached and nodded in greeting.

"Jar Jar has gone to the Gungan city," he informed them.

"Then everything is going to plan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"For the time being, yes." Qui-Gon turned his attention to Anakin and offered a smile. "Hello again, my young friend."

Anakin smiled back, irritating thorns forgotten, tilting his head to look up at the tall Jedi. "Hi, Mister Qui-Gon sir."

"How did you enjoy space travel?"

"It was wizard! Sienna and Obi-Wan even taught me how to fly a real starship!"

"Did they?" He glanced over at his Padawan, who had a slightly amused expression on his face, and then at Sienna, who was watching the woods more than paying attention to the Jedi.

"Yup!"

"Perhaps you can show me what you have learned, once this crisis is resolved."

"Sure! I also designed some starships, and I learned how to build a dejarik table…"

Anakin babbled away, eagerly telling Qui-Gon all about the adventures he'd had over the course of the past two weeks. The older man managed to both listen and keep his senses alert in case of any danger, humming and commenting at the appropriate times. He was not overly concerned about noise, since he hadn't sensed any threats close enough to be drawn by it, and so allowed Anakin to talk until Sienna led him away to teach him a bit about the local flora.

With the other two moving off into the jungle, Obi-Wan stepped closer to Qui-Gon. "Do you think the Queen's plan will work?" He asked.

"The Gungans will not be easily swayed," the older Jedi responded. "And we cannot use our powers to help her."

Obi-Wan nodded. The plan was the same as it had been, then. He glanced out at the jungle for a moment, then turned back to Qui-Gon. "I want to thank you again, Master. I am grateful that you think I'm ready to take the Trials."

A fond smile tugged at Qui-Gon's lips. "You've been a good apprentice, Obi-Wan," he said. He placed a sturdy hand on his Padawan's shoulder, a hint of a chuckle in his Force-signature. "And you're a much wiser man than I am. I foresee you will become a great Jedi Knight." He tugged at Obi-Wan's braid, running his thumb over one of the beads. "And one day, perhaps even a great Master."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but bask in the praise his Master so rarely gave, pride and joy and excitement swirling together in his chest. He had so often doubted himself and his worth, but in this moment he felt like everything he had ever done to earn Qui-Gon's approval had finally paid off. His Master was proud of him, and had honored him with a recommendation for the Trials. Perhaps the Force wasn't out to get him after all. He would have to call up Quinlan and tell him that he wasn't actually cursed, thank you very much, just supremely unlucky 90% of the time.

Qui-Gon gave one last tug and dropped his hand from Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Come, let us join Jar Jar with the Gungans."

"Yes, Master."

Obi-Wan waved to Sienna to catch her attention, and she nodded in acknowledgement and tugged Anakin along to follow. They met up with Captain Panaka, the Nubian guard, and the Queen and her entourage, then set out as a group towards the swamp. Anakin skipped over to Padmé, melting in among the handmaidens at the center of the group. Sienna once again brought up the rear.

They hadn't landed far, and soon found themselves standing a few meters from the shadowy waters, waiting for Jar Jar to return from Otoh Gunga. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Captain Panaka moved closer to the edge of the lake while the Queen and the rest of the group hung back.

A few minutes later, bubbles broke the surface of the water, and then Jar Jar clambered up out of the lake.

"There-sa nobody there," he announced, shaking swamp water from his ears. "The Gungan city is deserted. Some kind of fight mesa thinks."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. "Do you think they have been taken to the capital?" He asked, turning to Qui-Gon.

"More likely they were wiped out," Captain Panaka said.

"Mesa no think so," Jar Jar disagreed, jabbing a finger at the Nubian.

"Do you know where they are, Jar Jar?" Qui-Gon asked.

"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa show you! Come on, mesa show you!" He lolloped past the group, gesturing for them to follow.

"Anakin," The Queen said, and the boy jumped in surprise at being addressed by royalty, "I would like to have a private word with my handmaidens. Would you please excuse me?"

"Sure thing, Your Royal Highness. I'll go walk with the Jedi."

A hint of a smile crossed the Queen's otherwise unreadable mask. "Thank you."

Anakin waved to Padmé, then hurried to catch up to the two Jedi at the front of the group. Obi-Wan glanced at him and offered a half-smile, moving slightly to the side so that the boy could walk closer to both him and Qui-Gon. As he had on Rodia, Anakin took up residence in the safe space between the two Jedi.

Sienna, on the other hand, slunk off into the woods to scout the area. Being in such a large group put her on edge; she was used to working alone, or with one or two other people at most. The Nubians were an easy target all bunched together like that, especially the Queen with her gaggle of handmaidens. Besides, they had the guard and the other two Jedi to defend them—they didn't need Sienna hovering as well. Scouting would be better.

She would have preferred to keep Anakin close to her, but walking between a Master and an almost-Knight was about as safe as he could get, so she would just have to deal with it. And Obi-Wan had already proven that he could look after Anakin. If he could drag the boy through the beast-infested swamps of Rodia, he could certainly defend him against battle droids.

Obi-Wan glanced Sienna's way when the glint of her armor caught his eye. He nodded to her, and she nodded back. A silent agreement passed between them: Obi-Wan would keep Anakin safe, and Sienna would alert the group to any danger.

A Gungan guard found them before they found the Gungans. A brief exchange ensued, and then the group was squished closer together (Sienna included) and led to meet the Bosses.

Jar Jar and the Queen were at the head of the group, and for some reason Anakin followed just behind them, walking in front of the Jedi. Sienna's lips thinned. She lengthened her stride to pass the two Jedi and settle into step beside the boy. She felt Qui-Gon's disapproving glance at her breach of rank order and ignored it. She would help their mission, but her main job was keeping Anakin safe. Putting him at the front of the group, thus making him a target, was not a smart move.

"Your Honor," the guard greeted as the group neared the Boss, "Queen Amidala, of the Naboo."

The group slowed to a stop and spread out a bit. Sienna tugged Anakin to the side, away from the Queen. Should the Gungans attempt to kill the Nubian ruler (however unlikely that may be) it would be wise for Anakin to be out of range.

"Uh," Jar Jar began, "hello there your big Bossness, Your Honor."

"Jar Jar Binks." The Boss's voice boomed across the clearing. "Whosta yousten others?"

"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace."

"Ah, Naboo bigun. Yousta bringin' the mechaniques." The Boss's face crinkled, his lip lifting in a sneer. "Yousa all bombad."

The Queen stood unphased. "We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance-"

"Your Honor," Padmé inturrupted. She stepped past the Queen, moving several paces in front of the group.

Sienna looked over incredulously. What was this kid doing?

The Boss made a clicking noise. "Whosa dis?"

"I am Queen Amidala."

A ripple of shock went through the crowd, sparking surprised murmurs.

"Huh?" Anakin looked up at Sienna, face contorted in disbelief.

She shrugged. "Don't look at me, I've never met the Queen until now."

"But Padmé-"

"Shh," Sienna interrupted, and jerked her chin towards the girl. "Pay attention."

"This is my decoy," Padmé said, turning back to the 'Queen.'

Don't turn your back on people with weapons, Sienna mentally chastised.

"My protection. My loyal bodyguard. I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself."

Might be a little less necessary if you had some better street smarts.

"Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us. No, I beg you to help us." Padmé dropped to her knees. "We are your humble servants."

Sienna caught Anakin's spike of alarm at Padmé's words, and the panicked glance he cast around the group as they all knelt as well.

It's ok, Ani, she said over the bond. She moved to one knee and gave his sleeve a gentle tug. She's not offering her people as slaves.

Then why do we have to kneel?

It's a gesture of respect. She wants the Boss to know that she isn't above him and his people.

Anakin reluctantly knelt, but kept his spine straight and tall. I'm nobody's servant anymore. I'm FREE now. Mister Qui-Gon freed me.

Yes, you are free, Sienna was quick to assure him. A servant and a slave are not the same thing. But regardless, you're still your own person. Don't worry, Ani. No one's gonna make you do anything you don't want to.

I don't want to kneel, and you're making me do that, he replied bitterly.

Sienna sighed. Alright, no one's going to make you do anything unreasonable. There are some things we don't like that we have to do anyway. Like making your bed. She gave him a little nudge, and sent a hint of playfulness across the bond, hoping it would calm him down.

It seemed to work a little, and she tuned back in to what Padmé and the Boss were saying.

Which was nothing, apparently, because everyone was tense and silent as they waited for the Boss to respond.

And then he started laughing, loudly. Anakin stiffened, and Sienna looped her fingers through his to comfort him. She sensed no malice from the Boss, but Anakin was already on edge.

It's ok, Ani, she said again, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yousa no thinkin' yousa greater than the Gungans?" The Boss made a noise that reminded Sienna of a barking monkey. "Mesa like a dis. Maybe wesa being friends."

He shook his jowls, flinging spit everywhere, and then the Gungans and Nubians alike erupted into cheers.

Qui-Gon was the first to begin to stand, and Sienna was quick to tug Anakin back to his feet as well. Not that he needed any prompting; as soon as he saw Sienna shift he leapt back to his feet, lifting his head high.

With the Gungan Boss' proclamation of an alliance between the Gungans and the Naboo, everyone set to work formulating plans and preparing for battle. Captain Panaka was sent to scout Theed and determine just what they were all dealing with.

"Captain," Padmé greeted upon his return.

"Your Highness."

"What is the situation?"

"Almost everyone's in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation army's also much larger than we thought. And much stronger." He paused and turned back to Padmé with a grim expression, leaning forward slightly and imploring her to hear him. "Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think that we can win."

She met his gaze with her own steely determination. "The battle is a diversion. The Gungans must draw the droid army away from the cities. R2?"

The droid turned its dome and projected a holo-map of Theed.

"We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then, we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy they will be lost and confused." Padmé held Panaka's gaze, then turned to Qui-Gon. "What do you think, master Jedi?"

"The Viceroy will be well guarded," he commented.

"The difficulty is getting into the throne room," Panaka said. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem."

"There is a possibility, with this diversion, many Gungans will be killed," the Jedi said, glancing at the Gungan Boss.

The Boss was unphased. "Wesa ready to do ousen part," he said, beating a fist against his chest.

Padmé spoke up again. "We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet."

"A well conceived plan," Qui-Gon said, "However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields."

"You won't need to," Sienna spoke up suddenly, stepping forward. "Do you have a holo of the battleship?"

"Unfortunately not, I only have a map of the city," Padmé said.

"Alright, that's fine. Here, Ani, pass me that stick."

The boy bent over and picked up a stick lying on the ground near his feet. Sienna took it and moved a couple paces away, scratching a quick diagram in the dirt.

"Alright, here's the battleship. It looks sturdy from the outside, and it has the best deflectors you can get right now. But its fatal flaw is in the interior design of the ship. The main reactor is located here"—she tapped a spot— "and it's a straight shot from this bay here right back to the reactor." She dragged the stick along the ground, drawing a line between the little square representing the door and the circle representing the reactor.

"So… What, blow it up from the inside?" Captain Panaka asked.

"Bingo," Sienna said. "You get someone in that bay, and if they're real lucky they can literally just fly right on through, set some charges, and zip back out. If the doors are closed though, it'll take a bit more time and effort."

"That's suicide," The Captain said. "The droids would take out the ship before someone could fly all the way through, and even if they made it to the reactor they wouldn't make it out before the battleship exploded."

"That is if someone could make it to the bay at all," Qui-Gon agreed. "The battleship is heavily armed. You would likely be shot out of the sky before getting anywhere near there."

"I didn't say it would be easy," Sienna replied, straightening and placing one hand on her hip, "but it is possible. I've done runs like that plenty of times. You just have to be quick, and ready to improvise when something goes wrong."

"None of our pilots could pull that off," Panaka argued. "They aren't trained for something like that."

"Then give me a ship, and I'll do it," she snapped. "It'll work, and it's a far better idea than sending out your shiny pilots and hoping they can somehow magically take out the shields with their wimpy guns."

Silence fell over the group. Everyone stared at Sienna, and then slowly they all turned to look at Padmé.

Padmé eyed the drawing, lips pressed in a thin line. "You're sure you can pull it off?"

"As long as your team can keep the vultures off my back, yes."

"Then do it." Padmé lifted her head and met Sienna's gaze, holding it for a second, and then gave her a slight nod and turned back to the map of the city.

"There is another danger," Obi-Wan said. "If the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."

"Well that is why we must not fail to get the Viceroy," Padmé replied. "Everything depends on it."

Sienna smirked. Maybe Padmé wasn't so bad after all. The kid had spunk.

"Well then, let's get going," Captain Panaka said. "The longer we stand here, the more likely it is that the Viceroy will catch wind of our impending attack."

"Agreed." Padmé turned to the Boss, and inclined her head. "I will leave the ordering of your troops to you."

He inclined his as well and once again beat a fist against his chest. "Wesa will be ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick announcement: as of right now I will not be posting an update on Wednesday. I have gotten behind on my writing ahead, and I don't like to post a chapter without having at least two more ready to go. I currently only have one more chapter completed, so I am already breaking my self-imposed guidelines by posting this chapter. If I happen upon a large chunk of time and manage to write another couple of chapters I'll update as usual, but I don't anticipate being able to do that. I've been spoiling you all with these twice a week updates :P
> 
> In other news, we have officially passed the 50,000 word mark! That means this is the length of a novel. Of course, I do have some chunks of movie dialogue that I can't take credit for, but still! I am excited. Maybe I'll sit down and actually write one of the books I've been thinking up for years, haha.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will once again be no Wednesday update. Expect Saturdays only until further notice. It's getting to that time of year where I am very busy, but I am still actively working on this story. :)

The group loaded up into speeders and set out for Theed. Sienna could feel the nerves of the Nubians, but also their grim determination and sharp focus. Beside her, Anakin was buzzing with something akin to thrill or excitement. He'd heard stories of adventures and battles, the dramatized stories of the deep-space pilots and the cautionary tales and fables from the elders in his neighborhood. Sienna had told him her share of stories too, and now he was going on an adventure of his own.

"What should I do to help?" Anakin whispered.

That… that was a good question. What _were_ they supposed to do with Anakin?

"Stay close to Jinn and Obi-Wan and do as they tell you," she said. "Keep your head down and make sure you don't get shot."

That was clearly not the answer he had been hoping for. "But I want to _help_."

"That _is_ helping. Making sure they don't have a reason to worry about you in addition to the droids is the most helpful thing you can do."

Anakin scowled, crossing his arms and slouching in his seat.

They made it to the secret passages, and then up into the city. Sienna was surprised by how few guards there seemed to be. For an occupation, the place wasn't very occupied. If this was her Time, the Empire would have had troopers on every corner.

They split into groups. Panaka and a few others went around one way, and Padmé, R2, the three Jedi, Anakin, and a squad of pilots went another way. They came to a square and Padmé leaned around a column, signaling to Panaka. He signaled back an all-clear.

Qui-Gon turned and crouched in front of Anakin, grabbing the boy's shoulders.

Anakin stiffened, and Sienna's eyes narrowed, an instinctive spark of protectiveness flashing through her Force-signature. She'd need to have a talk with Qui-Gon about sudden movements and unexpected physical contact.

"Once we get inside, you find a safe place to hide and stay there," Qui-Gon said, either oblivious to Anakin's discomfort or ignoring it.

Anakin nodded. "Sure."

"Stay there," Qui-Gon said again, raising an eyebrow and a finger in warning.

Anakin nodded again, and Qui-Gon gave his shoulders another squeeze in what was probably supposed to be a comforting gesture, but only served to raise Anakin's anxiety levels.

Sienna sent feelings of peace and security across the bond, gently sweeping away the traces of anxiety. Anakin relaxed, and sent back an impression of a smile.

 _There's about to be some loud noises and bright explosions_ , she warned him, spotting the guards with an armed speeder pull up under the arch across the square.

Anakin nodded and braced himself.

The speeder fired. The bolt slammed into a tank, sending it crashing the ground in a plume of smoke and sparks.

The droids whirled, searching for the source of the bolt. "There they are!" One of them shouted, drawing the attention of the other droids. They opened fire on the speeder, and thus the battle began.

Padmé, blaster in hand, dashed around the corner. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsabers and followed, Anakin running alongside them, sandwiched between them and the wall. Sienna opted to keep blasters in both hands, shooting down droids as she too dashed around the corner. She'd always been best with blasters.

They ran through the door and down a hall, towards the hangar. When the next door opened, the group was immediately bombarded with blaster fire.

"Ani! Find cover, quick!" Qui-Gon ordered, deflecting blaster bolts with his 'saber.

"Get to your ships!" Padmé shouted to the pilots.

Anakin scrambled behind a crate, but blaster fire still rained down all around him. Sienna ducked and rolled across the floor, shooting down droids.

"Anakin, the vents!" She shouted.

"What?" He called.

She unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and threw it at him. He caught it, glancing down at the weapon with a startled expression.

"Cut a hole in the grate, and hide in the vents! You'll be safest there!"

"But-"

"NOW!"

Anakin scrambled back against the wall. He ignited the gold blade and plunged it into the metal grate that covered a large air vent. It sliced through the spokes the way he imagined a krayt's claws would cut through a bantha, and then the grate clattered to the ground, leaving an opening just big enough for him to crawl into.

Anakin turned off the lightsaber. "Do you want your-" He turned, intending to return it to Sienna, but she was scrambling up into a ship and zipping out of the hangar with the other pilots before he could get the sentence out.

A bolt whizzed past his head and singed the wall a hair's breadth from his ear. Anakin flinched and ducked into the vent, crawling on his hands and knees, the lightsaber still clutched in one of his fists. Once inside he twisted around to peer back out at the battle still raging in the hangar. The Jedi cut down the doids quickly and efficiently with their lightsabers and the Nubians did the same with their blasters. Within seconds, the hangar was clear, and the sounds of blaster fire ceased.

Anakin crawled back to the opening of the vent and poked his head out.

"My guess is the Viceroy's in the throne room," Padmé said to Panaka.

The Captain nodded. "Red group, Blue group! Everybody this way."

"Hey, wait for me!" Anakin called, shuffling forward.

"Anakin, stay where you are," Qui-Gon ordered as he strode by, "you'll be safe there."

"But I-"

"Stay in that vent."

Anakin huffed and flopped onto his belly, glaring at everyone's boots. He heard the door to the palace slide open, but then everyone stopped. Anakin felt a wave of confusion and uncertainty emanate from the group. He craned his neck, but he couldn't quite see what it was they were worried about.

He could, however, feel a dark and sticky presence. He shuddered, instinctively pulling his own presence in on itself. Whoever that guy was, he felt _wrong_.

And familiar. Was that the guy that Mister Qui-Gon had fought in the desert? The one who stabbed Sienna?

Anakin shuffled backwards a little more.

"We'll handle this," he heard Mister Qui-Gon say.

"We'll take the long way." And that was Padmé's voice.

The sound of blaster fire started up again—apparently some more droids had joined the party—along with the distinctive buzz of multiple lightsabers. Everyone was fighting once more.

An idea formed in Anakin's mind. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how to use a blaster. He'd never been allowed to touch a weapon. But he did know some basic moves with a lightsaber; Sienna had taught him with sticks and brooms at dusk, when no one could see. He wasn't stupid enough to think that he could fight battle droids, but what about the Viceroy? Padmé and Captain Panaka seemed to think that if they got past the droids, capturing the Viceroy guy would be easy. So he probably wasn't a good fighter. And Anakin had Sienna's lightsaber, so maybe the Viceroy would think he was a Jedi and get scared and surrender. He could crawl through the vents to the throne room and capture the Viceroy for Padmé.

The only problem is that that would mean disobeying Qui-Gon. But technically, Anakin would still be in the vents, up until the point that he climbed out to capture the Viceroy. So he would be mostly following orders. And he was free now, which meant no one could make him do anything, not anymore. He didn't HAVE to follow orders. He was free to make his own choices.

Anakin did a determined nod and pushed himself back up onto his hands and knees. Yes, that's what he'd do. Crawl through the vents, find the throne room, capture the Viceroy. Easy.

He tucked the lightsaber under his belt (he didn't have a fancy clip for it) and started crawling.

* * *

"We lost one!" Sienna called over the comms, jerking her own vessel to the side to avoid colliding with the falling ship. They'd only just barely cleared the hangar, and already they were down a pilot. Great.

"Who's here? Bravo Leader, ready!"

"Bravo Two, here!"

The pilots went through their roll call. There were only nine of them.

"Bravo Twelve, ready to blow stuff up," Sienna said, once the comms had been silent long enough to indicate there weren't any other pilots joining them.

"Roger that, Bravo Twelve."

They flew up through the atmosphere and the battleship came into view, looming not far from the planet. Several dots departed from the ship like a swarm of bees taking flight.

"Fighters straight ahead!"

"Roger Bravo Leader!"

"We'll punch a hole for you, Bravo Twelve."

"Roger that!" Sienna called.

As one the squadron moved through the field of fighters, their combined fire protecting themselves and picking off the vulture droids. They made it to the ring, and then one of the heavy cannons picked off Bravo Four, his ship going up in a ball of flames. The others tilted to avoid the blast.

"I want someone on those cannons!" Bravo Leader called.

"The deflector shields are too strong!" Bravo Three called, and then his ship took a hit and exploded just like Four.

"Forget the cannons!" Sienna shouted, jerking to avoid another blast. "Just get me to that bay before we're all shot down!"

"We're not gonna make it to the bay, there's too many fighters, we're dropping too fast."

"Kriff this," Sienna muttered. She yanked the stick to the side, dropping out of formation.

"Bravo Twelve, _what are you doing_?"

"I'm completing my mission. Keep the vultures occupied, I'm going in."

"No! There's still too much fire!"

"I am aware of the situation!" Sienna snapped. "I work better alone anyway, just keep them off my tail and try not to die."

"...Roger that."

Sienna sent her ship into a spin, shooting down two vultures approaching her nose. She flipped on her side to fly between two pillars, then skimmed along the edge of the dome, so close that her ship's belly almost scraped the surface, close enough that the cannons couldn't angle and hit her. Three more vulture droids dove down to attack, but two Nubian fighters rose to meet them.

"We've got you covered, Bravo Twelve!"

"Roger!" She followed the curve of the dome just a little longer, then hit the thrusters with everything she had and leapt off, aiming straight for the bay.

She shot into the mouth and through, not bothering to slow her speed in the slightest. It was risky, flying inside at this speed, but no riskier than flying through tightly packed fields of moving asteroids. The first set of doors were open, and so were the second, and she tilted on her wing and zipped through. The next were closed, but a few blasts from her guns relieved the doors of their sockets. Only then, flying through the smoke, did she put on the brakes just in time to come to a screeching halt inches from the back wall.

Droids were already running to meet her, but she ignored them. She had shields, they would hold against the blasterfire for a couple minutes. Sienna closed her eyes and stretched out her senses, feeling for the reactor core. It was actually a little closer than she thought. She checked her belt, reassuring herself that the explosives were still there. They were.

Time for the hard part.

Sienna cocked her blasters, counted to three, and then jammed the button to open the canopy. The droids started firing immediately. Sienna met them shot for shot, ducking and twisting, trusting the Force as she leapt down from her fighter and made a mad dash across the hangar and down the hall. She didn't think, she just ran, the Force guiding her every step.

She ducked and rolled past two B1s and behind the reactor. She shoved one blaster back in its holster and started grabbing charges off her belt, placing them and continuing to shoot at the same time.

"Careful, don't hit the reactors!" One of the droids called to its buddies.

Sienna smirked and rolled to the next reactor, slapping on the charges. And, for good measure, she used the Force to toss two more onto a third reactor. Taking out two reactors should be enough to blow the whole ship, but she wasn't taking chances.

The blaster fire stopped, which was incredibly suspicious, and when Sienna turned around she discovered why.

The entire hallway between the reactors and her borrowed Nubian fighter was filled with droids, blasters cocked and ready. A door to her left slid open to reveal more battle droids, and a couple of droidekas rolled out onto the walkway to her right.

"Surrender!" Ordered one of the droids in the hall. "We have you surrounded!"

Sienna slowly raised her hands.

"Drop your weapon!"

She opened her hand and let her blaster clatter down to the ground.

The droid gestured to one of its buddies. "Cuff her."

"No thanks," Sienna said cheerfully. "I have places to be."

She gathered the Force around her and leapt up into the air. She hit the side of one reactor and used her momentum to jump to the next, whipping out her second blaster and shooting at a grate in the ceiling. Another bounce and she was up in it, bracing herself against the slick walls of the vent, out of range of the droid's shots.

The seconds ticked by as she shimmied up through the duct, and then as she turned to crawl as fast as she could. If the droids gathered all the charges before she could set them off, her mission would have been for nothing.

Sienna closed her eyes and sunk into the Force's waiting embrace, letting it show her the layout of the vents and the halls below. She could feel her ship, and droids marching past it. They weren't exactly guarding it, but there were a lot of them milling about. More than she could shoot down.

 _You don't have to_ , the Force whispered. _Look._

There was a grate almost directly above the ship. It was only two paces to the left. Close enough that she could probably jump down and clamber into the cockpit before getting shot.

Probably.

She didn't have time to steal a different ship though, not if she wanted there to be enough charges left to blow the reactors. This was her best bet.

Sienna took a deep breath, shot out the grate, flattened her arms to her sides, and dropped down. She hit the ground, tucked into a roll to avoid breaking her legs, Force-jumped into her ship, and jabbed the button to start up the engines before even closing the canopy. Which ended up being a bad move when a blaster bolt grazed her shoulder, but then she was in the air and accelerating through the hangar. The doors started to close in front of her and she pushed the ship faster, tilting onto her side to slip between them.

The mouth of the hangar was fast approaching, and Sienna had wasted enough time already. She hit the detonator.

The shockwave from the exploding reactors nearly threw her into a wall. She grunted and yanked on the controls, steadying her vehicle, and shot out of the hangar and into space.

"Everyone get back!" She shouted over the comm. "She's going down!"

"Roger that!"

She saw the Nubian fighters turn tail and flee, and she picked off a few vulture droids that tried to follow. The shockwave grew as the entire control ship exploded, catching the closest fighters and sending them tumbling through space, Sienna included.

She let her fighter spin for a second before stabilizing it. When she did, she let out a breath of relief.

"We did it boys," she said over the comms. "We did it."

Cheers erupted in her earpiece, and she smiled.

* * *

Anakin's knees were starting to ache, but he ignored them and pushed on. He could handle aching knees. He'd handled worse before and he knew how to ignore the pain to get a job done. And right now, his job was especially important.

He came to an intersection and paused, closing his eyes and trying to open himself to the Force. He knew it could lead him to the throne room because Sienna had told him plenty of stories of times that she had gotten lost and asked the Force for guidance. It was a little frustrating how long he had to wait before he thought he felt it nudge him to the left. In the stories it always sounded like the Force responded right away. Maybe that was one of the things meditation was supposed to help with.

At the next intersection, when he again had to wait for what felt like an eternity, he vowed to try harder the next time Sienna taught him meditation.

A couple minutes later and voices caught Anakin's attention. Excitement bubbled up in his chest and he moved faster, coming to a stop next to a grate in the floor of the duct. He peered through it.

Down below was a large room. In the center stood several beings, but two wore very large hats. The hats probably marked them as important people.

Anakin grinned. He'd found the Viceroy!

The only question now was how to get down from here so he could capture him.

 _Jump_ , the Force whispered plainly.

Anakin frowned. That was a reeeeeeaaallly far drop. Like, far enough that he would probably splat on the ground.

_"I can use the Force to help me jump high, or run really fast."_

Sienna's words from their first ever meeting echoed in his mind. She never did show him how to jump with the Force, saying it was too risky that someone would see. But he trusted Sienna. If she said you could jump with the Force, he believed it.

"Well, here I go," he said to himself.

He pulled the lightsaber out of his belt and tilted it against the grate, then ignited it. The metal melted and the grate fell away with a clatter that echoed loudly in the open room.

"What was that?" One of the beings asked.

"Aaaaa!" Anakin shrieked as he jumped out of the grate. His stomach leapt to his throat, and for a terrifying moment he was sure this was a terrible idea and he was going to die. On some kind of instinct he flung his hands towards the ground. He felt the Force swell under his fingertips, slowing his fall.

He landed hard on his feet and his left ankle rolled. He felt something pop, which definitely couldn't be good, but the adrenaline coursing through his system dimmed the pain.

"Yes!" Anakin grinned, proud of himself for jumping.

The beings stared at him.

"Um, I mean," he whipped the lightsaber forward, igniting it again, "surrender, Viceroy!"

"A Jedi!" One of them exclaimed. "I thought there were only two of them!"

"Yeah, well there's actually three," Anakin replied. "And I've captured you."

The second being laughed. "You look awfully young to be a Jedi."

Anakin glared at him. "I'm a Jedi in training. And I've still captured you."

"Captured?" The Viceroy said, and Anakin heard a door slide open. "It is I who has captured Queen Amidala, little Jedi."

"Anakin!" Padmé's voice cut across the room.

He turned, and sure enough, Padmé and her warriors were being marched across the room by several battle droids.

A droid swiped Sienna's lightsaber out of Anakin's hand while he was distracted.

"Hey! Give that back!"

" _Anakin_ ," Padmé hissed again. Her gaze was sharp, her Force-signature swirling with a number of aggressive and determined feelings. None of those feelings were 'thanks for capturing the Viceroy, Anakin.' In fact, if there was anything directed at him, it was annoyance and maybe a hint of worry.

He suddenly felt rather foolish, and he ducked his head. Qui-Gon had told him to stay in the vents, and he had disobeyed, and now he was captured too. If he had listened, maybe he could have rescued Padmé, instead of being captured along with her.

She grabbed his arm and pushed him behind her, into the circle of her guards.

"Your little insurrection is at an end, Your Highness," the Viceroy said. "Time for you to sign the treaty and end this pointless debate in the senate."

"Viceroy!" Came a voice from the left.

They all whipped around.

"Your occupation here has ended," Sabé said, lifting her blaster and shooting two B1 droids.

"After her!" The Viceroy exclaimed. "This one's a decoy."

The droids gave chase, several falling before they had even made it out the door. Padmé backed up a few paces and then turned and dashed to her throne, jamming a button on the armrest to reveal a secret compartment full of blasters.

"Captain!" She tossed one to him.

He caught it and shot down a droid while Padmé shot down another. Anakin ducked and scooted against the side of the throne, trying to stay out of the way.

"Jam the doors!" Panaka ordered. He held his blaster level with the Viceroy's heart while some men hurried to comply.

Anakin stood up slowly. He spotted Sienna's lightsaber lying on the ground beside the open hand of a fallen battle droid. He scrunched up his face and reached out, using the Force to call it to him.

"Now, Viceroy," Padmé said, "we will negotiate a new treaty."

* * *

Obi-Wan dropped to his knees, gently scooping Qui-Gon's head and cradling the man against his own body.

"It's too late," Qui-Gon rasped. "It's.."

"No!" Obi-Wan shook his head violently, pressing a hand against Qui-Gon's chest, as if he could keep the man's heart beating through sheer willpower.

"Obi-Wan," the older man's voice had already dropped almost to a whisper, and Obi-Wan moved his hand to cup his Master's neck. "Promise.. Promise me you will train the boy."

Obi-Wan nodded, a single frantic, jerky movement. "Yes Master," he said, his own voice coming out desperate and broken.

Qui-Gon slowly and painfully lifted a hand to brush his fingers against Obi-Wan's cheek. "He… is the Chosen One. He… w- will bring balance." His eyes bore into Obi-Wan's, trying to convey the importance of this last task.

Obi-Wan nodded again, tears gathering in his eyes.

"Train him." It was almost a plea.

And then the man was gone.

Obi-Wan caught his Master's head as it began to loll to the side. He pressed his own forehead against Qui-Gon's, face contorting in grief as the tears began to fall freely now. He felt a sob caught in his throat, unable to escape, and so he cried silently as he cradled his Master, his mentor, his father.

_No, nononono. Don't leave me, Master. Don't go. Don't go! Please! Don't go, please don't go. Master!_

A thousand cries echoed in Obi-Wan's mind as his heart shattered.

But it was too late, and his pleas went unheard.


	15. Chapter 15

Obi-Wan wasn't sure how long he stayed in the reactor room.

It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Time crawled by, meaningless in the face of the shock and devastation that clouded Obi-Wan's senses. His head ached as though it had been skewered, a physical manifestation of the sudden cutting of the training bond he and Qui-Gon had shared. Obi-Wan vaguely wondered if this is what it felt like to have a limb cut off. Did it hurt this much? Or would it have been more bearable to lose an arm than to feel the bond cruelly ripped apart?

Regardless of the physical pain, Obi-Wan knew what he would have preferred. There was no doubt in his mind that he would have gladly given both his hands if it meant Qui-Gon's lungs would draw breath for another day.

_I should have done more._

He didn't know what, exactly, he should have done. But he wasn't too worried about the details right now. His brain felt sluggish. _He's gone_ echoed around and around, a phrase so unfathomable that he had to keep reminding himself that it was true, pressing trembling fingers against Qui-Gon's neck and hoping against hope for a pulse. The heat was leaving Qui-Gon's body as Obi-Wan held it, the limbs going stiff, and it felt so _wrong_.

Obi-Wan was no stranger to death. And this was not the first person to die in his arms. But Qui-Gon wasn't supposed to be this cold and still. It wasn't right. Qui-Gon was quick and agile, favoring the acrobatic Ataru over any other Form. Qui-Gon could duck and bend and dance as nimbly as Obi-Wan himself, flexible and graceful even as he aged.

This.. this frozen man couldn't be Qui-Gon.

And yet it was.

At some point Obi-Wan just... shut down. Like a droid in power-saving mode. He stood, gathering the body in his arms, and allowed his feet to guide him back the way he had come. He waited in the ray shielded hallway, staring through the many layers of red screens and refusing to think of anything at all. He walked along the catwalks, jumping from one to another in order to reach the door through which he had come. He wasn't familiar enough with the layout of the palace to try to find another way. And he didn't know where he would go even if he was. Autopilot was safer. Just retracing his steps.

When he came to the door to the hangar he flicked his fingers, beckoning the Force to open it. The door slid open-—

—and Obi-Wan was immediately assaulted by noise.

The pilots had returned, apparently successful in their mission if their whoops and cheers and general ruckus-making were anything to go by. Obi-Wan froze in place, unable to process the chaos around him. It crashed over him like a frigid wave, flooding his senses, stealing the breath from his lungs. It felt like drowning, like being tossed about in an icy sea. He clutched Qui-Gon's body a little tighter.

A flickering light in the Force caught his attention. He latched onto the familiar presence, the only Force-signature in the room as strong as his own. He caught a glimpse of a short brown nerf-tail among the shifting bodies, visible one second and gone the next. Maybe she felt his presence too, or maybe it was coincidence, but Sienna turned her head and met his gaze in the gap between two shoulders.

"Obi-Wan!" She called with a grin and a wave. Her Force-signature glowed and sparkled with happy crackles, impressions of thrill and victory swirling where they could be easily read. She shouldered her way through the crowd, no doubt intending to come talk to him, or perhaps to drag him into the celebration. That seemed like something she would do.

She made it to the edge of the group, scooting around one last pilot, and he could finally see her unobstructed.

Which meant she could also see him.

Her gaze landed on Qui-Gon.

She halted in her tracks.

"Oh Force," she breathed, a hand flying to her mouth. She stared at Qui-Gon for a moment, then slowly looked up at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan swallowed. "Where…?"

He didn't know what he was asking. His brain was so terribly blank and terribly tired, but his feet didn't know where to bring him anymore. He didn't know where to go, or where he should bring Qui-Gon, or what he was supposed to do now.

The pilots had fallen silent too. Some had noticed Obi-Wan enter and had poked their companions into silence, others had heard Sienna's words and turned to see what was wrong. All of them now stood equally frozen and unsure and dreadfully quiet.

Obi-Wan thought he may have preferred the noise.

Sienna snapped out of it first. "Right," she said, straightening. "You there"—she turned to one of the pilots—"inform the Queen of our success and our losses. And you, come with us. We'll need a guide to show us through the palace."

"Yes sir."

Sienna crossed the remaining space between her and the other Jedi in just a few strides. "Come on, Obi-Wan," she said softly, "he'll show us where to go."

Obi-Wan nodded mutely.

The pilot gestured and Obi-Wan's feet carried him after the Nubian. Sienna hovered beside him, hand twitching like she wanted to reach out and offer a comforting touch but wasn't sure she should. She didn't.

Obi-Wan was glad. Or maybe not. He wasn't sure.

They walked in silence, save for the sound of their footsteps, until they eventually reached the palace medical wing.

"You can leave him here," a nurse stated, gesturing to a gurney. "We will bring him to be preserved until a funeral has been arranged."

Obi-Wan hadn't been sure his hands would be able to uncurl from where they clutched his Master's body. And yet they did, apparently, because he suddenly found himself standing in an empty hallway, hands by his sides.

"I should assist the Queen with her negotiations," he announced suddenly.

Sienna eyed him with something like concern. "Are you sure you should do that right now?"

"It is what I was sent here to do."

"Yeah, but maybe you should take a moment-"

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan interrupted. "And I must complete my mission."

With that, he turned and strode away down the hall, not bothering to wait for Sienna's response.

Sienna watched him go with a frown. There was absolutely no way he was 'fine' right now, but there wasn't really anything she could do about it, so she would just have to give Obi-Wan his space and let him process at his own speed.

The woman turned and left the healer's wing, intending to go find Anakin. The thin bond they shared was still alive and well, meaning that Anakin was too. Thank the Force. However, he definitely wasn't still in the vent in the hangar, which meant he could be just about anywhere.

"'Scuse me," she stopped a passing guard that she remembered being part of Padmé's squad, "do you happen to know where Anakin is?"

"Yeah, kid's with one of the handmaidens, she's showing him around the palace. I saw them back that way."

Sienna raised an eyebrow at the… _something_ in his tone. "What did he do?"

The man huffed. "Crazy kid tried to capture the Viceroy by himself."

"He did what?"

The guard shook his head. "I know, I couldn't believe it. He's lucky he didn't get himself killed."

Lucky indeed. "Alright, well, thanks for letting me know."

The man nodded and continued on his way.

Sienna headed down the hall the guard had pointed to, stretching out in the Force and searching for Anakin's supernova presence. Now that she knew where to look, it was relatively easy to find him, and she turned a corner to find Anakin walking with a handmaiden at the other end of the corridor.

"Sienna!" Anakin skipped down the hall to meet her, immediately throwing his arms around her waist. "You're ok!"

"Course I am," she replied, hugging him back. "I'm the best pilot around, remember?"

"Yeah, but I overheard that some of the pilots didn't come back." He tilted his head to look up at her with wide eyes. "Was it scary blowing up the ship? Was it exciting?"

"Both," she agreed. "I had to fight off a number of battle droids and take a trip through the air filtration system on the control ship."

"Wizard! I wanna hear the whole story!"

Sienna laughed, ruffling his hair as he pulled back from the hug. "Sure. But first, I want to hear what _you've_ been up to. Rumor has it you tried to capture the Viceroy yourself?"

Anakin ducked his head and clasped his hands behind his back. "Um, well, kind of."

"Go on then, what's your story?"

"I was just trying to help," he said, immediately jumping on the defensive. "You guys were all trying to save Naboo, and I wanted to help, and you left without your lightsaber, so I thought maybe if I crawled through the ducts to the throne room I could scare the Viceroy with the lightsaber and he'd think I was a Jedi and then he'd surrender and Naboo would be safe. I was just trying to help."

Sienna sighed, a hint of pink fondness fluttering in her Force-signature alongside _Care_ and _Worry_ and _Protect_. She crouched down to his level, and he cast his gaze to the side to avoid hers.

"Why don't we debrief what happened," she suggested. "Sit with me?" She shifted and crossed her legs under her, sitting down right in the middle of the empty hallway. The handmaiden who had been giving Anakin a tour of the palace seemed to take that as her cue to leave, and she swept away in a flurry of colorful silks.

Anakin sat down and picked at the threads on his pants.

"Alright, Mister Skywalker, shall we commence the debrief?"

He nodded. He liked 'debriefs.' The word itself was something he had never heard until Sienna came along, but she had explained how whenever a Jedi went on a mission, they had a debrief when they came back where they talked about what happened and how things might have gone better. A debrief wasn't being in trouble. It was just talking.

That didn't stop the fizzy feeling in his chest though, so he continued to avoid eye contact.

"Let's start at the beginning then. Where's the best beginning spot?"

"Well, you gave me your lightsaber and told me to go into the vent. So I cut a hole in the grate and tried to give your lightsaber back, but you were already leaving."

Sienna nodded. "Right. I hopped in a ship."

"Uh huh. So I put it in my belt and crawled in the vent. And then the droids were all destroyed and I was gonna come out, but Mister Qui-Gon told me to stay. But then I felt someone sticky in the Force—I think it was that guy who stabbed you!—and then Mister Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan went one way and Padmé and her friends went another way, and I was just sitting in the vent not doing anything."

Maul had been here? That was alarming news. Sienna quickly cast her senses out to search for him, but all she found was a leftover residue. He wasn't anywhere nearby. She tucked that piece of info away for later and focused back on Anakin.

"Do you think you should have done something?" She inquired.

Anakin frowned, face scrunching. "Well, I don't know how to use a blaster, and that's what everyone was using to fight the droids. I don't think I could have done anything."

Sienna nodded again. "Ok then. What happened next?"

"I got an idea. Padmé said that the whole mission depended on capturing the Viceroy, but she had to go the long way, so what if she didn't find him fast enough? And Mister Captain Panaka said that capturing the Viceroy would be easy. AND I had your lightsaber, and only Jedis carry lightsabers, and everyone knows that you can't beat a Jedi. So I thought I would help by capturing him, cuz he'd think I was a Jedi and surrender."

Sienna could see his logic there. Honestly, at his age, she probably would have drawn the same conclusions. "How did you find him?"

"I crawled through the ducts. The Force led the way, I think. And then I was right above him, and the Force told me to jump down. It was suuuper clear, like it sounded like it said the word 'jump,' almost. And I was worried because it was reeeeally high up, but you said that the Force can help you jump, so I decided to try. And it worked!" He glanced up excitedly. "I didn't die!"

Sienna huffed a half-laugh. "Good. We wouldn't want an Anakin pancake on Padmé's nice floor."

Anakin giggled. "Nope. Although, I did hurt my ankle a little bit."

"A 'little bit'?" Sienna echoed, eyeing him suspiciously. "How much is a 'little bit'?"

"Um, well it made a popping feeling and went like this." He turned his hand to demonstrate an ankle rolling.

"Alright, pause debrief for a moment. Can I see your ankle?"

Anakin stuck out his left foot. He tried to tug his boot off, but the pain that he had been blocking out flared up, and he released a faint hiss.

"Alright, hold on," Sienna said, holding up a hand to stop him. "You probably sprained it. Let's let a healer look at it instead. Come on."

"Wait, we haven't finished the debrief."

"We can finish on the way. Hop up onto my back, I'll carry you. Walking on a sprained ankle only makes things worse."

Well, he certainly wasn't going to say no to a ride. Sienna shifted into a crouch and Anakin looped his arms around her neck. She hooked her arms under his legs, straightened, and set off down the hall.

"Alright," she said, "you jumped out of the vent. Then what?"

"I held up the lightsaber, and one guy thought I was a Jedi. But then some droids came in with Padmé and her friends, cuz they'd been captured. And she seemed kinda mad that I was there. And a droid took your lightsaber from me while I was distracted, and then I was captured too."

"How did you feel when that happened?"

"Well…" he paused, thinking. "Well, I thought maybe it was silly for me to have tried to capture the Viceroy, especially cuz then I was stuck too, and maybe if I hadn't been I could've rescued Padmé. But it worked out ok cuz her decoy distracted the droids, and then Padmé found some blasters and freed us all and captured the Viceroy instead. And then someone called to say that the control ship had been exploded, and then Padmé sent me out because she had to negotiate with the Viceroy, so instead her friend took me to explore the palace. And then I found you. The end."

Sienna hummed. "So, what went well in your plan?"

Anakin took a moment to ponder that. "I could hear the Force. It was harder to follow than I thought it would be though."

"It takes time and practice to learn how to listen to it well," Sienna said. "And a healthy amount of meditation."

He groaned, gently bopping his forehead against the back of her head. "Ugh. Meditation." Sure, he'd vowed to try harder not even an hour ago, but that was then. Now, meditation seemed boring again.

A flicker of yellow amusement appeared in Sienna's signature. "What do you think you should have done differently?"

Anakin frowned. "Well, the plan didn't work."

"How so?"

"I didn't capture the Viceroy, and then I got captured."

"That is true," Sienna agreed. "Why do you think that happened?"

He sighed, resting his chin gently on the top of her head. "I don't really know how to capture someone."

"That is also true. Would you say that you attempted a mission beyond your training?"

That was another phrase Sienna had taught him. When you tried to do something you didn't really know how or weren't prepared to do, it was called 'attempting a mission beyond your training' or 'being unqualified.' 'Unqualified' was a rather big word though, and the first phrase made a bit more sense to Anakin.

"...Yeah. But I wanted to help."

"Did you help?"

"...no."

"Is it possible that you made Padmé's mission more difficult, even by accident?"

"I guess so."

"How?"

"Umm..." He chewed on his lip. "I'm not sure."

"You got captured too. So then Padmé had to worry about you a little bit. And that meant that she was a little distracted. You said that the lightsaber got swiped while you were distracted, so, being distracted makes a mission more difficult. Just like a podrace, where being distracted makes it hard to win."

"Oh," Anakin said. "That makes sense."

Sienna hummed. "So, you wanted to help, but you ended up making Padmé's mission more difficult. What do you think you should have done instead?"

Another sigh. "I guess I should've stayed where Qui-Gon told me to."

"Why's that?"

"Because if I stayed there, I wouldn't have gotten captured."

"True. Is there something else you could have done, or is that what would've been the best option?"

Anakin fell silent for a minute, trying to think of other ways he might have helped. Maybe he could have gotten R2 to do something? Like what? Maybe hack into the doors so the Viceroy got trapped? But the droids could have blasted through the doors, maybe? He didn't actually know much about battle droids. Those didn't tend to end up in scrap shops on Tatooine.

"I think that woulda been the best option," he said at last.

Sienna nodded, a tinge of gold approval swirling through her signature. "I agree. So if we find ourselves in a situation like this again, and someone tells you to stay put, what should you do?"

"I should listen and stay."

"And why's that?"

"So I don't accidentally mess up the mission, and don't distract anybody."

"Good. Staying out of the way on a mission you aren't trained to handle is part of being a good Jedi. It's called knowing your limits. Even the best Jedi have to just buckle down and hide sometimes. I've certainly done my share of hiding in vents."

"Even Mister Qui-Gon?" Anakin asked. "Does he have to hide sometimes?"

Sienna winced. Oh yeah, Jinn.

Anakin immediately picked up on the shift in Sienna's Force-presence. "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid Master Jinn didn't make it." No point in hiding it from him.

Sienna felt the jolt of shock across the bond, and Anakin's grip tightened around her neck as he straightened. "What? What do you mean, he didn't make it? He's dead?"

"Yes."

"But…" Anakin floundered, not sure what to make of this. "But, no one can kill a Jedi!"

"We're not immortal, Ani. We live and die just like anyone else."

"But…" He trailed off.

Sienna sighed.

The rest of the walk passed in silence. They reached the healer's ward only a few minutes later and a nurse showed them to a room.

"I think he's sprained his left ankle," Sienna told the nurse.

The man nodded, holding a scanner over the limb in question. "On a scale of one to ten, how badly would you say it hurts?"

"Um," Anakin glanced at Sienna, then back at the nurse, and shrugged. "I dunno. How much is ten?"

"Consider ten the worst pain you have ever felt," the nurse said.

"Oh. Well, maybe three?"

"That's all?"

"Um. Yes?"

"What do you consider a ten?"

Anakin shrugged again. "Probably the time I got five stripes."

"Stripes?" The nurse echoed, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, stripes. With a whip. You know."

The man's eyes widened, and he shot a horrified glance at Sienna.

"We're from Tatooine," she said, as if that made it all better. It didn't, really, but she hoped the guy would just wrap the ankle and let it go.

He didn't. "Was that recently?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, that was a couple years ago."

"Was that a common occurrence?"

"No, Watto didn't like whips. That was when his brother watched the shop for a week."

"Is Watto a relative of yours?"

"No."

"Who is Watto?"

Anakin pressed his lips in a thin line. He refused to say Watto had been his master. It was a small piece of rebellion he had clung to his entire life, calling Watto by name instead of by title, one the Toydarian had apparently tolerated given the fact that Anakin was still alive.

"Look, man," Sienna interjected, "Anakin grew up in slavery on Tatooine. He sprained his ankle like half an hour ago jumping off of something tall. Can you just, wrap it up real quick?"

"Has he ever seen a doctor?" The nurse asked instead, clearly caught up on the slavery thing.

"Nope," Anakin answered.

The nurse's frown deepened. "How old are you?"

"Almost ten."

The nurse made a note on his datapad. "Do you two have anywhere critical to be right now?"

Sienna sighed. She had a feeling about where this was going. "I guess not."

"Then I'd like to do a full checkup, if that's alright with you."

"What's a checkup?" Anakin asked.

"It's when a doctor checks to make sure you're healthy," the nurse responded. "I'll check your height and weight, reflexes, blood pressure, and a few other things. Most children here have a checkup once a year."

Anakin glanced at Sienna. "Do you get checkups?"

"When I'm on my home planet, yeah, I do."

"Well, ok," Anakin said. "I guess I can do one."

The nurse nodded and turned to Sienna. "I'll bring you the consent forms to sign."

"Oh, I'm not his guardian," Sienna said.

"Then who is?"

That was a good question, come to think of it. Jinn, probably, since the man had technically won ownership of Anakin in a bet and then chosen to set the boy free. But with Jinn dead… "Er, I guess I am the closest thing."

The nurse nodded. "I'll be right back. Make yourselves comfortable."

* * *

After the negotiations with the Viceroy and a few miscellaneous tasks, Obi-Wan called Yoda to give a report. And somehow, like always, the little green Master knew. He always knew. He felt the death of every single Jedi, no matter how far they were from home. He listened as Obi-Wan gave a brief summary of events: the battle with the droid army, the destruction of the control ship, the capture of the Viceroy, and finally, the death of the Sith.

And of Qui-Gon.

Yoda's ears drooped as Obi-Wan said, in clipped, controlled words, "Qui-Gon fell by the blade of this warrior."

"Sorry, I am," Yoda said. "Go to Naboo, the Council will. A funeral there, we will hold. Honored, he will be, by both the Jedi and the planet he died serving."

Obi-Wan dipped his head. It was only right that Qui-Gon should be honored in such a way.

"Not gone is he," the Master said, his tone gentle. "One with the Force, yes. Gone, no. Always with you, he will be."

"Yes, Master."

"Hmm," Yoda eyed him. "Doubt the Force, do you? Doubt its goodness, for taking your Master from you?"

"No, Master."

"Hmm." He sounded unconvinced, but he said nothing more on the matter. "See you soon, I will. May the Force be with you."

"And also with you."

 _Click_.

Obi-Wan took a shuddering breath as the call disconnected. Tears welled up in his eyes again, and his head was still pounding from the bleeding stub of a training bond. He squeezed his eyes shut and dug the heels of his palms against them, willing the tears to stay back. He'd held it together so far, through the negotiations and other things he'd been doing all day. He wouldn't break now.

The Council would be here in a week. What was he supposed to do until then?

There was plenty of cleanup to do throughout Theed, as well as on the outskirts of the jungle. Droid parts to gather, tanks to dismantle, damaged homes to repair. There was also the matter of the Viceroy, who would need to be kept under guard. As a Jedi, Obi-Wan should help with all of it. Perhaps direct some of the cleaning crews, or offer to take a turn watching the Viceroy. There was also the newfound alliance between the Nubian humans and the Gungans, an alliance that both peoples' leaders would likely want to put into writing. That was something else Obi-Wan should probably offer to oversee. He'd helped negotiate plenty of treaties before.

But he didn't want to do any of it. Thinking of all the things that needed to be done… It just left him feeling exhausted.

With a sigh, Obi-Wan dropped his hands and moved to the little kitchenette in the quarters that Queen Amidala had generously provided. He wasn't sure when exactly she'd had time to arrange places for him and the others to stay, but somehow she had. It occurred to him that he hadn't even said anything about staying the night, but he supposed anyone would want to rest after a busy day storming a city. He'd have to let her know that the Council was coming next week, and he'd have to find someone to do the funeral arrangements.

He should probably do that now. Instead, he found a kettle and put it on the stove. He needed some tea.

The next thing he knew, the kettle was whistling, and then he found himself sitting on the couch with his hands wrapped around a warm cup. Steam curled upwards, wafting against his face, and he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the familiar scent of herbs wash over him.

The tears pricked at his eyes again. He clutched the cup a little tighter.

Force, it had been a long day. Was it really just that morning that he was on a ship, scanning the jungle for a place to land? That Qui-Gon had placed a hand on his shoulder and said that Obi-Wan was a good apprentice? That Queen Amidala had negotiated with the Gungan Boss to save the planet?

It seemed like ages ago.

Obi-Wan certainly didn't feel like a good apprentice right now. What kind of Padawan stands helpless while his Master is skewered by a Sith?

A failure.

To top it off, Qui-Gon had tasked Obi-Wan with training Anakin. Obi-Wan wasn't even a Knight yet, he couldn't take on a Padawan. He was still a Padawan himself. Sure, he'd been recommended for the Trials, but he still had to actually take them. What if he failed? What would happen to Anakin? Heck, the Council hadn't even met the boy yet, who was to say they'd let him into the Order at all?

Obi-Wan had given Qui-Gon his word. Now though, looking at everything he needed to do, he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep it. Everything seemed impossibly daunting. But he had to keep his word to Qui-Gon. He had to. It was his Master's dying wish, and by the Force, Obi-Wan wouldn't disappoint him. Not now, not after everything.

With another sigh, Obi-Wan pushed himself up from the couch and brought his now-empty cup to the sink. He'd hoped the tea would lessen the ache in his head, but it hadn't, not really. And his thoughts were running wild, making the pounding worse.

 _Knock kn-knock_.

Obi-Wan left the cup unwashed in the sink and moved over to the door. He took a breath, trying to push down his swirling emotions, and schooled his features into a careful mask.

He opened the door and found Sienna, standing with her hands in her pockets. She regarded him with a look entirely too soft for his already fragile state.

"Hey," she said, tone as soft as her expression. "Do you… Do you want a hug?"

That did it.

The dam broke and tears began streaming freely down his face, everything he had tried to lock away rising back to the surface with a vengeance.

Sienna held out her arms and Obi-Wan stepped forward, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her back. He felt her arms close around him, warm and tight, and he broke a little more. Short, sharp sobs tore from his throat as he hid his face in her shoulder. He clung to her, fingers curling into the fabric of her vest, and he felt her tighten her grip as well.

Sienna leaned her head against his and closed her eyes too. She didn't say anything—what was there to say?—but she tried to imbue her Force-presence with as much _care_ and _comfort_ as she could. When she sensed Obi-Wan's strength fading and his legs starting to tremble, she guided him over to the couch so that he wouldn't end up collapsing on the tile floor.

After at least thirty minutes of shaking and crying, Obi-Wan seemed to start calming down. His breath evened out somewhat and he relaxed his death grip on her vest. She started rubbing circles on his back, and he relaxed a little more, and then he tugged out of the embrace. Sienna let him go.

Obi-Wan leaned back against the couch with a deep sigh, letting his head fall back against the wall. Kriff, he was tired. He felt like he'd been run over by a speeder. Like, twenty times. Or run a couple of marathons. Everything ached, especially his head and his eyes.

He heard Sienna shift. "I'll be right back."

He gave a little _hmph_ of acknowledgment.

A minute later the couch dipped as she sat down again. "Here. Drink this."

He cracked open an eye to find her holding out a glass of water. He wrapped both hands around it and took a small sip.

" _All_ of it."

"Yes ma'am," he muttered, and he slowly drained the glass.

"Do you want another?"

He shook his head, then winced as the movement made the pounding in his head worse. "No, thank you."

"Hmm." She shifted, pulling her feet up on the couch and leaning back against the armrest. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got trampled by a herd of banthas."

She let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I imagine."

They lapsed into silence. Obi-Wan let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes once more. He must have started dozing off, because the next thing he knew a sharp knock at the door startled him back to awareness.

"I got it," Sienna said.

She returned a second later with a tray containing a plate of crackers and some fruit.

"Eat," she ordered, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of them.

"I'm not hungry."

"Oh yeah? What have you eaten today?"

Obi-Wan opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"That's what I thought," she said. She picked up a piece of fruit and bit into it, chewed, and swallowed. "Cuz I haven't had anything either. This is as much for me as for you. Eat."

Obi-Wan picked up a cracker and started nibbling on it. Ok, maybe he was hungry after all.

By the time the tray was emptied and he'd had another glass of water, Obi-Wan was starting to feel a little better.

"Thank you," he said.

Sienna nodded. "No problem." She chewed one last bite of her fruit. "And, I'm sorry. About Jinn."

"At least the Sith is dead," Obi-Wan responded monotonously, staring down at his glass.

Sienna jerked in surprise. "What?" She asked. "He's dead?" Had she messed up the timeline that badly already?

"That's what I said."

"Are you sure?"

Obi-Wan shot her an annoyed look. "No, I suppose he could have gotten up and simply walked away after I cut him in half and sent him tumbling down a reactor shaft. He probably snapped his legs back on like a lego man and is off prowling the galaxy, waiting for the right moment to exact his revenge."

Sienna refrained from telling him that was exactly what Maul had done. Well, minus the snapping his legs back on. Obi-Wan believing that Maul was dead was probably part of the timeline. A timeline she had definitely meddled with at this point. Befriending Anakin was probably fine, befriending Obi-Wan was maybe fine, but blowing up a droid control ship and liberating a planet? That definitely fell into the category of 'meddling.'

"Point taken," she said instead.

Obi-Wan hummed, and downed the rest of his water. "The Council will be here next week. We'll hold a funeral for Qui-Gon then. And the Council will want to speak with you and Anakin, I'm sure. Until then, we'll stay here, and help Naboo with the cleanup."

"Good to know."

Obi-Wan set his glass down on the table and glanced at the wall chrono. "It's getting late," he commented. "You should get some sleep."

"So should you."

"Mmm." He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

Sienna fixed him with a look like she knew exactly what he was thinking. "I mean it. It's been a long day. At least _try_ to get some sleep."

"I will."

"Wow, that was about as convincing as Anakin saying he'll try to practice meditating."

Obi-Wan snorted. "I will," he said again, with more sincerity.

"Hm." Sienna eyed him suspiciously. She stood and brought their glasses to the sink, washed them, and then came back and picked up the tray. "Alright. I'll leave you to it then. If you need anything, feel free to comm me, ok?"

Obi-Wan nodded. He had absolutely no intention of bothering anyone with his sorrows, but he appreciated the offer. "Thank you."

"No problem." She waved a hand and the door slid open. "Have a good night, Bee."

"Good night, Sienna."


	16. Chapter 16

_One week later…_

Chancellor Sheev Palpatine stepped off of the transport and onto the soil of his homeworld. A welcome party was there to meet him and the others arriving from Coruscant, rows of pilots and guards and the Queen herself, along with the Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. And beside him, two people the Chancellor did not recognize.

Palpatine's eyes drifted over the boy and the young woman, and he nearly froze.

The boy was a bright, blinding Force presence. Clearly more powerful in the Force than any of the other Jedi milling about, greater even than Masters Yoda and Windu. Any doubts Palpatine may have once had were swept away in the face of the boy's brilliance. It was one thing to sense him from afar, across all of space, it was quite another to see him in person.

Yes, he was the one. The Force's child, cradled lovingly in its arms, so fresh and young and full of potential. Bright, like an untouched crystal, or a newborn lamb.

And oh, he would do so, so nicely. Palpatine could see it already. The Light's child turned against her, twisted and gnarled into a tool of death. Pressed and scarred, a thousand little cuts until the child yearned for the Dark and drank greedily from its cup. He would not be dragged against his will. No, he would run to the Dark with fire and fury, he would beg for it to take him in, reveling in its power even as the Light cried out in anguish for her Fallen son. He would be doom itself, no longer a supernova, but instead a black hole that would swallow planets in their entirety.

 _Darth Vader._ That is what he would call his apprentice. The name tasted like hatred and ruthlessness, like blood off a knife. It was a name that would be feared across the galaxy.

But the boy was still but a babe, still a wide-eyed hatchling in the Light's warm nest. The seeds of darkness were already there, planted by the hands of life's cruelty. A master's whip, a mugger's fist, the misfortune of circumstance, all had tilled the soil and left their marks. The seeds would take time to grow, and they would require careful cultivation. Sidious would take great pleasure in being the one to do so. He would be patient, oh so patient, and when the day came when the boy submitted himself to the Darkness, Sidious would be there to reap the harvest of his toils.

It was enough to make him nearly giddy with anticipation.

The woman was far less bright. Very average, as far as Jedi went. But she was another mystery altogether. If the Force was an ocean, and all living things drops of water within it, she was a fish. Dipping in and out of the waves, water flowing past her, part of the ocean and yet not. Bound by its laws, subject to its tides, and yet more free than the water droplets themselves. The Force flowed through her, yes, but also around her in a most peculiar way.

He wondered for half a moment just what would happen if he were to pluck the fish up out of the water. Would she flail and die? A drop of water apart from the ocean is still a drop of water, but a fish apart from the ocean cannot survive. Would she gasp for oxygen, suffocating without the water to carry it? Would she cry out for the Force from which she had been wrenched? Would the Force reach for her? Or would it continue moving, uncaring, like the receding tide ignoring the animals it left stranded on the shore?

He was tempted to reach out one small tendril and brush against her Force-presence to get more of a sense of what she was. The boy too. Just a feather-light touch, enough to assess the seeds of darkness. But there were too many Jedi around who would notice such a cool whisper, and so Sidious had to keep his presence to himself, wrapped tight and dimmed to the pitiful hum of a Force-null human. Tragic, really. But necessary for his greater plans. He couldn't be sidetracked by one peculiar woman, not when he had so many things to set into motion. And besides, experimentation had always been more Plagueis' thing than his.

But should the Force's favor ever smile down upon him… Well, he wouldn't pass up a gift.

Padawan Kenobi approached and bowed, and Sidious pushed those thoughts aside. There would be opportunities to ponder such things later. He would be patient, and in time, the child would be his.

"We are indebted to you for your bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Sheev stated, imbuing his voice with warmth and gratitude. He offered a smile to the boy and a glance at the woman, then made his way past them to speak with the Queen.

"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor," Padme said, her normally stoic face brightened for a moment by a smile.

"Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty, it is you who should be congratulated," Sheev praised. "Together, we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic."

"I am looking forward to it." She turned then to the Jedi Council, who stood just to the side. "Welcome, Master Jedi. I want to thank you again for all that you have done for the people of Naboo."

The Council members leaned forward in respectful bows. "It is our honor and duty to serve those who call upon us for aid," Master Windu said, on behalf of all of them.

"Indeed. Still, our peace has come at great sacrifice to your Order, and for that I and all of Naboo will be forever grateful. You have my sincere condolences for the loss of one of your own."

"Thank you," Windu said.

The Queen turned and swept a hand towards a couple of Nubians. "These guards will show you to your accommodations. I have also had a meeting chamber prepared for you. I hope it will suffice."

"You are more than generous."

"It is the least I can do."

With pleasantries exchanged, the crowd began to disperse. The Queen and the Chancellor went one way, while the Jedi followed after their escorts.

"Obi-Wan," Yoda greeted, hobbling forward with his walking stick. "Good to see you in person, it is."

The Padawan inclined his head. "You as well, Master." He looked up at the others. "Masters."

He was slightly surprised to see that all of them were here. Yoda had said that the Council would come to Naboo for Qui-Gon's funeral, but Obi-Wan had expected at least one of them to be called away on a mission, or to stay behind in case a representative was needed at the Temple. But no, they were all here, and Obi-Wan found that he was glad. Qui-Gon would not be cremated in the Temple he had long called home, but at least he would be honored by the entirety of the Council.

"We have much to discuss," Master Windu said. His gaze drifted over the boy, Qui-Gon's 'vergence', and the young woman, the so-called Padawan of another Order. "We will commence a meeting immediately. Your presences are requested—all three of you."

"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan said.

The other two nodded in acknowledgement.

It didn't take long to reach the palace, and from there it took maybe ten more minutes to reach the room that had been prepared. Chairs were arranged in a large circle, and the Council members easily found their proper places. Obi-Wan moved to the center of the circle, tucking his arms into the sleeves of his robe, and Sienna paused beside him. Anakin took up residence in his usual place between the two.

"Now that everyone is situated, I believe introductions are in order," the Korun Jedi stated. "I am Jedi Master Mace Windu. This"—he gestured to his right—"is Grand Master Yoda, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, Master Saesee Tiin, Master Yaddle, Master Even Piel, Master Oppo Rancisis, Master Adi Gallia, Master Yarael Poof, Master Eeth Koth, Master Depa Billaba, and finally, Master Plo Koon."

Sienna bowed, and Anakin followed her lead to do the same.

"Padawan Sienna Retrograde," she said.

"Anakin Skywalker."

"Good to meet you, it is," Yoda said.

"You as well, Masters," Sienna returned, inclining her head politely.

"We would like to begin this meeting by clarifying the matter of your identity," Windu said. "You call yourself a Padawan, yet our Order does not recognize you."

"That would be because I'm from another Order."

"There has not been an offshoot in a thousand years," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "And the one there once was does not remain active."

"My Order isn't an offshoot of yours," Sienna said. "It was founded independently."

"In another galaxy?" Mundi asked skeptically.

Sienna's lip dipped slightly at his tone. "Yes."

He glanced over at Windu and Yoda, who shared a look between themselves.

"Forgive us if we are a bit… hesitant to accept your claims," Windu commented.

"Search the Force, then. You'll see I'm telling the truth."

"Your words ring with truth, yes, but that only gets us as far as knowing that you believe what you say."

Sienna's eyes narrowed. "Are you implying that I'm crazy?"

"No. But just because someone believes something does not make it an objective truth."

That struck a nerve. So, they all thought she was some brainwashed kid who'd been led to believe she was from another Order? Sienna bristled at the implication, and straightened up to her full five-foot four-inches of height to fix the Council with a fiery glare.

"I am Sienna Retrograde of the Cosmic Order, Padawan to Jedi Knight Calian Verde, under the wisdom and guidance of Grand Master and Master of the Order Tulca-Noen Azimuth, along with High Council Members Nexus Aqualite, Borealis Quasar, Kao, Kavi Beckett, Nima Blankuna, and Ren Mur. Our Order exists on the planet Felidae. The original Order was founded more than three thousand years ago, but having been destroyed and its members killed or scattered, Master Azimuth was tasked with building the New Cosmic Order from scratch. It is this Order, though still young, that now thrives in a territory carved out for us by the Force itself. "

Silence.

Sienna's passionate declaration hung in the air, her claims outrageous—and yet supported by the Force.

The Council members glanced around at one another. Some pierced Sienna with assessing gazes, others stroked their chins thoughtfully, and still others turned to Yoda. For his part, the little green Master simply tilted his head and pressed his lips together.

"Master Azimuth, you say?" He asked, after the silence had started to become uncomfortable.

"Yes."

"Hmm." Yoda leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on his walking stick. "Knew an Azimuth, I did, long ago."

A spark of surprise lit up the Force.

"You knew a Jedi from this other Order?" Mundi asked.

"Mmm. A Padawan, I was still, and she too." The Grand Master chuckled. "Nearly forgotten, I had. Too long, it has been. More than seven hundred years." He turned his bright gaze to Sienna, humor dancing in his Foce-signature. "Tell her to visit, you should."

Sienna was just as stunned as the rest of the Council. Yoda knew Master Azimuth? What? She stared at the little green Master for a second, then shook herself from her stupor when it became clear she was expected to respond. "I… will try to remember that."

"Do or do not," Yoda said, still chuckling. "There is no try."

A beat passed. "Well," Windu began, "now that we have that more or less straightened out, the question remains as to why you are in our galaxy instead of your own."

"Right. That's the more complicated part. I fell through a Force portal just over a year ago, and I haven't found another, so I'm kinda stuck here until I can find a way back."

"You fell through a portal?" Windu repeated.

"Well, I mean, technically I was pushed, but yes."

The Korun Jedi sighed. "That is admittedly the most believable part of your story."

The other Councilors hummed their agreement.

"Why is it that you allied yourself with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi?" Plo Koon asked.

"Master Jinn suggested that I might find solutions to my predicament in your Temple archives. He invited me to return to Coruscant to search."

"Possibly," agreed Plo Koon, and a few of the other Masters nodded as well. "The archives hold a great deal of knowledge."

Another beat passed.

"I believe those are all the questions we have for you at the moment," Windu said, glancing around at the other Council members in case there were any objections. There weren't, so he continued. "We would now like to address young Skywalker. Master Jinn requested that we test him, and we agreed to do so, should you"—this was directed at Anakin—"agree to undergo the test."

The boy straightened slightly now that he was the center of attention. "What's the test for?"

"It is a test to determine your affinity for the Force."

"What do I have to do?"

"Nothing too strenuous. I will hold a screen in my hand, and you will tell me what is on it without being able to see the screen."

Anakin nodded, then tilted his head to look up at Sienna, seeking her approval.

"It's your choice, kiddo. If you want to take the test, go ahead. If you don't, then don't."

"Ok then. I'll do it," he said, turning back to Master Windu.

"Alright. Padawans Kenobi and Retrograde, if you would please exit the room, we will administer the test now."

Obi-Wan and Sienna bowed in tandem.

"We'll wait for you just out on the bench," Sienna assured Anakin.

He nodded again. "Ok."

The Padawans strode out of the room. Anakin watched them go. He caught a glimpse of Sienna's quick thumbs-up and smile before the doors whooshed shut, leaving him alone with the Jedi.

He turned his attention back to the Jedi Master directly in front of him. The man pulled a datapad from somewhere within the depths of his robes and attached a small handle to it in order to prop it up.

"Alright, Skywalker. I will start the sequence of images. They will only stay on the screen for a few seconds before changing. Your goal is to correctly identify as many of the images as possible. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good." Windu tapped a button on the screen. "Begin."

"A house. A tooka. A chair…" Anakin rattled off item after item, plucking the answers easily from the Master's mind. Every image that flashed before Windu's eyes was there for Anakin to see as well, and with each answer the boy grew a little more confident. This was an easy test. Kind of like playing cards with Sienna when she let down her shields so Anakin could practice. "A ship. A cup. A ship. A… Speeder!"

Master Windu lowered the device and glanced over at Yoda.

"Hmm," the little green Master said, bringing one clawed hand to his chin. "How feel you?"

"Cold, sir," Anakin responded with a shiver. Naboo wasn't a cold planet by any means, but the palace was still much chillier than the burning heat of the desert.

"Afraid, are you?"

"No sir," Anakin answered immediately. He didn't want the Jedi Council to think him cowardly.

"See through you, we can," Yoda commented.

Anakin, perceiving this as a rebuke, quickly brought up his flimsy shields. He should have put them up earlier, Sienna was always telling him how important shields were around other Force-sensitives. His ears turned slightly pink in embarrassment for the mistake.

There was a ripple in the Force that Anakin couldn't read. Surprise, maybe? It was frustrating, how void the Jedi's Force-signatures were. They were just like Obi-Wan, keeping their feelings tucked away behind their shields, making it nearly impossible for Anakin to gauge how they were reacting to him. And if he couldn't gauge that, he couldn't adjust his behavior to placate them. It was incredibly unnerving.

"Who taught you how to shield?" Master Windu asked.

"No one," Anakin answered. As best he could tell, the Council was displeased. He didn't want Sienna to get in trouble.

"Lie to us, you should not," Yoda said. "Sense the truth, we can. Afraid of betraying your friend, you are."

Anakin frowned, but kept his mouth shut tight.

"Your loyalty is commendable," Ki-Adi Mundi said, "but we are not your enemies. We do not intend to hurt your friend. You don't need to fear us."

" _Are_ you afraid of us?" Windu asked.

Anakin glanced at him, then at Master Mundi, and around at the various members of the Council. The ones he could see, anyway. There were others behind him, and he didn't dare turn around, but he could feel them watching him. All with the same projected cool, calm presences.

The boy wasn't sure what to say. On the one hand, Master Yoda said they knew when he was lying, and Anakin knew that lying could lead to big trouble. On the other hand, telling someone you were afraid was dangerous too, because they could use it against you. So he was caught in the middle with no good option, and he felt the fizzy feeling squeezing his chest and dancing in his fingers. He clenched his hands into fists so that the Jedi wouldn't see if they started trembling.

"Councilors, if I may," one of the voices behind Anakin spoke, "I think perhaps it is time we ended this portion of the meeting. There are many other things to attend to."

"Right, you are," Yoda said, watching Anakin closely.

Windu nodded as well. "Young Skywalker, you are dismissed. Thank you for meeting with us."

Anakin bowed, the way he had seen Obi-Wan and Sienna do, and hurried out of the room.

"Hey brat," Sienna greeted, rising from a bench she had been sitting on, "that was quick. How'd it go?"

Anakin shrugged. "Ok, I guess."

He heard the soft whoosh of doors opening. "Pardon me," said the voice from a moment ago.

Anakin turned and found himself looking up at a tan human woman. He couldn't remember her name, but she was smiling kindly, and she nodded in polite greeting to Sienna and Obi-Wan.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me for a walk in the Palace Gardens," she said, directing the question at Anakin. "It would be nice to have some company."

"What about your friends?" Anakin asked.

She laughed lightly. "Oh, I have spent plenty of time with them. And I will be stuck with them for most of the evening." She glanced around as if to see if anyone was listening, then leaned in conspiratorially. "And between you and me, some of them can be dreadfully boring."

Anakin cracked a smile at that. They _did_ seem like the kind of people who could be dreadfully boring. He glanced back at Sienna and Obi-Wan.

"Master Billaba is a skilled and wise Jedi Master," Obi-Wan said. "You will be safe with her."

Anakin nodded. Well, if Obi-Wan trusted Master Billaba, then he would too. Still, he glanced at Sienna, to see her reaction.

"Go on, brat," she said. "Have fun. Find a favorite plant to tell me about later."

The boy grinned. "I will. Bye!"

He gave Sienna and Obi-Wan each a quick hug, then followed Master Billaba.

"Have you been to the gardens before?" She asked.

Anakin nodded. "Yeah! I went with Sienna a few days ago, and again with Padme and her friends. They're sooo cool. There's more kinds of plants than I've ever seen in my whole life, and they're all in one place. It's wizard."

"I have never seen them. You will have to give me a tour."

"Sure!" He tilted his back to smile up at her. "I remember all the paths. I'm good at remembering things like that."

She smiled back. "That is a very good skill."

Anakin hummed in agreement. "I've got lots of skills."

"Oh yes? Which ones are you most proud of?"

"I can fix anything," he said immediately. "I even built a whole pod racer, all by myself. Well, mostly. Sienna helped."

"That is impressive," Depa said. "Where did you learn how to build things?"

"From my mom. She's great at it. And also from Sienna." He glanced up at the Jedi again, tracing his eyes over her features. "You know, you look a little bit like my mom. Your hair is the same color. I've never seen her wear braids like that though."

"I shall take that as a compliment," Depa said. "Do you miss your mother?"

"Yeah." Anakin looked down at the marble floor, and then out the windows. He could see the sprawling city, and the forested hills beyond. "I wish she could have come with me. Mister Qui-Gon said he tried to free her, but Watto wouldn't let him. But mom said that she has almost enough money to buy her own freedom, and then she'll come to visit. Or, when I'm bigger and older and know how to fly a ship better, I can go visit her." He glanced back at Master Billaba, tilting his head curiously. "Do you have parents? Do you visit them?"

"I'm afraid not. My parents died when I was a baby," the Jedi said.

"How?"

"They were killed by space pirates."

Anakin nodded as if that was a common occurrence. "Those space pirates are dangerous. I've heard lots of stories about them. I've met a couple too. I didn't like them. Neither did Watto, cuz they always tried to get stuff for less than it was worth, and they were always picking fights."

"That is what pirates do," Depa agreed. "They attacked my family's transport while we were traveling. It was only by the will of the Force that Master Windu happened upon us, and rescued my sister and I."

"Master Windu rescued you?"

"Yes. He brought us to the Jedi Temple, where I grew up. He is also the one who trained me as his Padawan."

"Wow," Anakin said. "I wouldn't have thought he'd like kids. He seems kinda… I dunno, like someone who doesn't like people who annoy him."

Depa laughed. "He can be a bit prickly on the outside, but between you and me, he's very soft at his center."

"Really?"

"Really."

Anakin fell silent, pondering this, and Depa let him take his time. They reached the entrance to the gardens a minute later. She held open the door and gestured for Anakin to go ahead through.

"Where should we begin?" She asked.

"This way," Anakin said, pointing to the right. "There's a path with lots of flowers, and then there's a fish pond. Did you know that people keep pools of water just for decoration? Not even for drinking? And they let fish swim in them and don't even eat the fish, just keep them as pets."

"I did. It is quite a common practice among the wealthy."

"I can't imagine having that much money. Water is suuuuper expensive on Tatooine. Padme said that there are lots of places in the galaxy where you can get water for _free_." He glanced up at Depa. "Is water free in the Jedi Temple?"

"It is, for the Temple's inhabitants. The Temple purchases water from the city water system, and those within the Temple are able to use it and drink it."

"Wow. How come no one brings water to places like Tatooine? I asked Sienna, but she didn't know, and Padme said it would be too hard."

"Bringing large quantities of water from one planet to another could severely disrupt a planet's ecosystem," Depa said. "Each planet has its own natural order of things. Its own plants, animals, and resources. If you bring new plants or animals, they can harm the ones that live there naturally. If you bring in water to a desert planet, it can completely change the weather and landscape. That would in turn harm the beings that have adapted to live on the planet. There are plants that will die with too much water, just as there are ones which die with too little. And if you take too much water from a place with a lot of it, that land would change and suffer too."

Anakin processed this explanation. He didn't know what the word 'ecosystem' meant, and the rest was hard to grasp too. He tried to imagine a planet made out of water, and what would happen if someone took away too much. Would the planet disappear? How did a planet made of water even work? And where did water even come from in the first place?

Anakin decided he was all done thinking about that. It was too complicated. "Ok," he said instead.

They reached the end of the path a moment later, and Anakin led Depa over to the fish pond. He knelt down in the soggy earth at the water's edge, not caring as the mud soaked his knees.

"The fish are super curious," he informed her. "Watch. They'll come say hi."

Sure enough, several colorful fish soon made their way over. They peered up at the people with large eyes, regarding them with much the same look with which Anakin was regarding the fish.

"Tell me, Anakin, do you want to be a Jedi?" Depa asked, kneeling beside him on a dryer section of grass.

He bobbed his head. "Yes, definitely."

"Why?"

He looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I want to be a Jedi?"

"There are a great many jobs in the galaxy. Some children wish to be teachers, others wish to be doctors, and still others go on to make their living creating works of art. There are many things one might want to be."

"Oh," he said. He looked back at the fish swimming circles in the pond. "Well, I don't know of very many jobs. But I had a dream I was a Jedi once. I went back to Tatooine, and I freed all the slaves."

"How did you do that?"

"I went to the Hutts and I told them that they had to let everyone go."

"And they listened to you?"

"Of course they did. If you're a Jedi, people have to listen to you."

Depa chuckled. "I am afraid many people do not share that sentiment."

Anakin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Not everyone respects the opinions of the Jedi."

"But, the Jedi are more powerful than anyone. Don't they _have_ to listen?"

"The Jedi are peacekeepers. We do not go places with the intent to make people do things. We go where we are invited, to help mediate conflict."

Anakin was silent for a moment. "You don't make people do things," he repeated.

"Not if it can be helped."

"How come you're all called Masters then?"

"The title of Master refers to a rank within the Order," Depa said. "It means that you have achieved mastery of something."

"What does 'achieved mastery' mean?"

"It means to be very skilled or knowledgeable about something."

"Oh," Anakin said. "A Master is better than a Knight, right?"

"It's a higher rank, yes."

"Obi-Wan says he has to take a test, and then he'll be a Knight. Do you gotta take a test to be a Master?"

Depa smiled. Full of questions, this boy. "Sometimes, sometimes no. It depends on the circumstance."

"So you gotta be a Knight first, and then a Master?"

"Yes."

"When does Obi-Wan take the second test?"

"Maybe never," Depa said, "some Jedi remain Knights for the rest of their lives. Though I suspect Kenobi will be granted the rank of Master, and sooner rather than later."

Anakin's eyes widened. "Their _whole_ lives?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't they take the second test, if being a Master is better than being a Knight?"

"It isn't necessarily better, it is just a higher rank."

"But..." Anakin furrowed his brow. "But higher _is_ better."

"Not always. The roles of Knight and Master are very similar. While most Jedi will eventually be granted the rank of Master, others never quite reach the level of skill necessary to earn the title. And that is ok. They are still valuable members of the Jedi Order, no matter their rank."

"Everyone's important?" Anakin asked.

Depa nodded. "Yes."

"If everyone's important, then how come you have ranks?"

"A rank does not define your importance, it simply demonstrates your level of skill."

Anakin pressed his lips together and scrunched his brow, clearly trying to make sense of Depa's explanation, but eventually turned back to the fish with a small sigh. "I don't think I understand."

"That's perfectly alright," Depa said kindly. "New things take a while to understand."

The boy hummed, apparently done with the conversation. He leaned forward and poked a finger into the water. A few fish swam over to investigate, gently nibbling at his skin, and he giggled at the sensation.

Depa regarded the child before her thoughtfully. His presence in the Force was one of the brightest she had ever seen in a child of his age, and he was possibly brighter than some of the Masters in the Order. In addition to the literal sense of the word, he seemed to be bright and curious, always asking questions. She was impressed with his ability to articulate the questions he had, and she wondered if it had been his mother who taught him to speak like that or if it had been Sienna. Whoever it was, they had done a good job of cultivating his mind. There were younglings his age in the Temple who weren't as articulate as he was.

She could also see the influence of his upbringing, such as his perception of higher or more skilled being 'better' and more valuable. That was a common attitude throughout much of the galaxy, but she suspected even more so when one's worth is measured in credits. In the Jedi Order, to some extent it _was_ better to be more skilled, but that wasn't something Jedi used to measure the value of a person. Should the Council decide to admit Anakin into the Order, Depa had a feeling that the concept of his worth would be something Anakin would struggle to grasp.

The Jedi Master opened herself more to the Force, letting herself feel Anakin's Force-signature more clearly. It was a bit difficult to look at, being so bright and without any substantial shielding, but she let the energy flow over her. She could see wounds in the Force, like cool spots on a star. Fear, anger, hate even, the seeds of the Dark side. However, there were fewer spots than she had expected to find. Everyone has some spots, and though he had far more than a Jedi youngling, he didn't have any more than a grown Jedi. They were concerning, yes, but they were also to be expected given his history.

"Anakin, what is it you are most afraid of?"

He shot her a suspicious glance. "Why do you want to know?"

An interesting reaction. Depa considered how to respond without putting him on edge. "Understanding what someone is afraid of can help you understand the person better," she said. That was, truthfully, why she wanted to know.

Anakin regarded her for a moment. She felt him stretch out with the Force, gently brushing against her presence, trying to discern whether she was sincere. As he pulled the curious tendrils back to himself, Depa caught a glimpse of a thought, for he had lowered his thin layer of shielding when he stretched out: _Obi-Wan says she's ok._

"Losing people," he answered, apparently deciding she was trustworthy.

That was a bit of a red flag, from a Jedi perspective. A Jedi cannot be so attached to another person that their fear of losing that person clouds their judgement or puts them or others at risk. But then she caught flashes of thoughts and emotions from Anakin's now unshielded mind. Children torn from their parents' arms as one or the other was sold individually, a slave beaten to death in the street, a favorite elder shot by a bounty hunter. There was an underlying layer of fear in all those things, because _that could happen to me_ and _what if Watto sells mom_ and _I have to be good or he'll sell me and I'll never see her again_. Anakin had next to nothing, so people were all he had.

"I see," Depa said, because she did. His attachment was dangerous, but perhaps that could be remedied with time, training, and security.

"What are you most afraid of?" Anakin asked.

The Jedi blinked. She hadn't expected that, but she supposed after the explanation she gave, it made sense that Anakin would turn the question back to her in turn.

"I suppose I most fear folly and ignorance," she said. "But I have learned how to release my fears to the Force, and so they do not control me."

The boy tilted his head. "Through meditating?"

Again, he surprised Depa with his quickness. "Yes, through meditating."

Anakin nodded in a resigned sort of way. "Sienna tried to teach me meditating. I'm not very good at it."

"Do you want to be good at it?" Depa asked.

The boy considered this. "I want to be a good Jedi. It seems like you gotta be good at meditating to be a good Jedi. So I gotta be good at meditating. But it's so _boring_."

An amused smile tugged at Depa's lips. That was certainly a common opinion among younglings, and even among Padawans. "It becomes more enjoyable the more you do it, and it has numerous benefits."

"That's what they say," Anakin said dubiously.

Depa chuckled at that. "Would you like to try meditating with me?"

"Alright."

Depa shifted so that she was facing Anakin, and he turned to her as well.

"Let us begin by closing our eyes. Take a deep breath..."

Depa walked Anakin through a basic meditation exercise that would be taught to Temple younglings his age. She sensed him struggle to stay focused, but she could also sense an earnest desire to do well. He followed all of her instructions to the best of his ability. For her part, Depa paid close attention to Anakin's presence and took extra care to gently draw him back to the present whenever she felt his mind wandering.

They meditated for an hour. Depa honestly hadn't expected Anakin to be able to sit still for this long; most nine year old younglings would be restless by now. But for all his complaints about meditation, he seemed much calmer and more centered than he had been throughout her interaction with him. The tension had eased out of his body, and his breathing was even and relaxed.

"You may open your eyes now, Anakin."

The boy's eyes sprang open, and he looked up at Depa hopefully. "Did I do it right?"

"How do you feel?"

"Good. Calm."

"Then yes, you did well."

His presence sparkled at the praise, and Depa made another mental note: the boy had a need for reassurance. Not necessarily a problem, but she suspected that if he was accepted into the Temple he would need to be paired with a Master who would give him the support and approval he desired if his fears were to be overcome.

The Jedi rose to her feet and stretched. "Thank you for joining me, Anakin. This has been lovely. I am afraid I must now return to my duties on the Council."

Anakin climbed to his feet too, and tried to wipe some of the mud off of his knees. "Thank you Miss Billaba."

"What will you be up to for the rest of today?" She inquired as they made their way back through the gardens and towards the palace.

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe Sienna can teach me more flying."

"Are you fond of flying?"

"Oh yeah. I love it. On the way here Sienna taught me a little, and Obi-Wan helped too. He told me how to use the Force to be a sarlacc and feel things, and then I used the canons to blow up an asteroid." He motioned with his hands, mimicking something exploding. "Boom! Except, there's no sound in space. But I bet it would've made a really loud explosion sound."

"I'm sure it would have," Depa agreed. "Did Obi-Wan teach you a lot of things?"

"Yeah! He taught me how to be a sarlacc, and before that he helped me find out what sea slugs eat. Back on Rodia! We went exploring and there were sea slugs, they're called Kwa- Kwazel Maw. And Obi-Wan says that some animals have gills to breathe underwater. Those fish in the pond have gills. And other animals don't have gills but they live in the water still. And the Kwazel Maw eat fish as big as me! And I learned that Obi-Wan doesn't have a girlfriend because attachments are forbidden, which he tried to explain but I'm still confused. Then we found some can-cells, which are giant bugs, and I tried to ride one but then I fell off and me and Obi-Wan had to walk aaaaaaall day through the swamp back to the city, and Obi-Wan almost got eaten by a swamp monster but he used his lightsaber to kill the thing trying to eat him"—Anakin swung his hand, pretending to slice a monster—"and also I learned the word 'wading' which means walking through mud and water." Anakin tilted his head to beam up at Depa. "Obi-Wan is super smart. He knows lots of things. Sienna knows lots of things too, but I think she knows different things than Obi-Wan. She's the best pilot ever, but Obi-Wan doesn't like her fancy tricks. And I think Obi-Wan is better at teaching meditating than Sienna is. But that's ok, because mom always says that everyone is good at different things, and that's why you gotta help each other."

Depa absorbed that onslaught of information with the grace of a Jedi Master. Apparently, the meditation had really calmed the boy's nerves, because that was possibly more sentences all at once than he had spoken to her during their entire time in the gardens put together. It was unfortunate that she had to cut their excursion short when Anakin was just beginning to open up. There were a lot of noteworthy things packed into what he had just said, such as the fact that apparently Obi-Wan had nearly been eaten while trudging through a swamp. That was certainly not something he had put in the report he submitted. Not that she was surprised either; this was Jinn's Padawan, after all, and both of them were magnets for trouble.

"It sounds like you have had quite the adventure," Depa said.

"Mm hm."

"And you and Obi-Wan get along well, it seems?"

"Yeah. He's really nice. He didn't even get mad at me for getting him stuck out in the swamp, or for ruining both of our boots. And he doesn't get mad when I ask questions either. Some people don't like it when you ask lots of questions. Sienna doesn't mind either, she likes to teach me things. She says she's only a Jedi student, but I think she's a good teacher. Obi-Wan too. Does he get to be a teacher once he's a Knight?"

"Perhaps. Knights and Masters alike take on apprentices, if it is the will of the Force."

"Well, I think he should for sure," Anakin said confidently. "He'd be good at it."

Depa smiled. Obi-Wan certainly was a gifted Jedi.

Speaking of Obi-Wan, they reached the Council room just as he stepped our through the doors. He looked a bit solemn, but when he spotted Depa and Anakin his expression shifted and a warm smile crossed his face.

"Master Billaba, Anakin," he greeted with a half-bow. "Did you enjoy the gardens?"

"It was most enjoyable," Depa confirmed, and Anakin nodded his enthusiastic agreement.

"I'm glad to hear it," Obi-Wan said.

The doors behind him opened again and out filed the Council members. They dispersed in both directions down the hall, some walking alone and others in pairs or small groups. Mace Windu approached the little trio.

"We are taking a recess for lunch and to attend to various tasks," Mace informed Depa. "We will convene again at 1600. Padawan Kenobi has just filled us in on more details of his mission, which I can relay to you over lunch if you would care to join me."

"I would be glad to," Depa responded. She turned to Anakin and inclined her head. "It was a pleasure spending time with you, young one. Enjoy your afternoon."

Anakin copied her motion. "You too, Master Billaba."

The two Masters turned and made their way down the hall, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan alone.

"Well, Anakin, what do you say we find ourselves some lunch as well?" The Padawan suggested.

Anakin nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Is Sienna coming?"

"I believe she is otherwise occupied with the pilots, but perhaps she has finished with them. Let me comm her and check."

Obi-Wan tapped a quick message into his wrist comm. It beeped a second later, and Obi-Wan pressed the 'accept call' button.

 _"Hey Bee, what's up?"_ Sienna's voice asked over the little device.

"Anakin and I were wondering whether you would like to join us for lunch."

_"Sure. I'm about done here. Your room or ours?"_

Obi-Wan glanced down at Anakin's muddy trousers. "I think yours would be best."

_"Sounds good. Thirty minutes?"_

"That works."

_"Cool, see you then."_

The comm clicked as the call disconnected.

"Well, off we go then," Obi-Wan said. "Let's get you cleaned up before Sienna arrives."

Anakin hummed, and with that they set out for lunch.


	17. Chapter 17

"Meeting is called to order at 1600," Mace Windu announced.

"Well," Master Mundi commented, "we certainly have much to discuss."

"Indeed we do. Let us begin with what I hope will be the easiest matter: Kenobi. As we all know, Qui-Gon recommended him for the Trials two weeks ago, and we intended to allow him to take them if he wished."

"He is ready," Adi Gallia said. "He has been ready for some time. I am surprised that Jinn did not recommend him sooner."

"I suspect this boy had something to do with Qui-Gon's change of heart," Yarael Poof commented. "He has never been so interested in a youngling before. It was hard enough to get him to take Kenobi."

"I agree," Mace said. "But whatever his motivations may have been, I believe he was sincere in his recommendation. And I think we are in agreement that Kenobi is more than ready."

The other Council members murmured in affirmation.

"I also think we can agree that he has undergone a great trial already. He has defeated the Force-user who brought down his Master, and helped negotiate peace for Naboo. That is no small feat. I propose we consider these Kenobi's Trials, and grant him the rank of Knight."

"I support that proposition," Plo Koon said.

"If the Force-user was a Sith as Qui-Gon suggested, Obi-Wan is the first to kill one in over a thousand years," Adi Gallia commented. "Padawans have been promoted for such acts of valor throughout the history of the Order. I would also support this."

"I as well," Depa said.

"Are there any objections?" Mace asked.

There were none.

"I move to accept the trials Obi-Wan Kenobi has faced on this mission as his Knighthood Trials, and grant him the rank of Jedi Knight."

"Second," Plo Koon said.

"All in favor?" Mace said.

Every hand rose.

"All opposed?"

The hands returned to laps and armrests.

"Abstentions?"

Nothing.

"Motion passes," Windu said. "It is decided then. Kenobi will be granted the rank of Knight."

"Tell him, I will," Yoda said.

Mace dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Very well. Now, on to the next order of business: Sienna Retrograde."

"I still find her story a bit hard to believe," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "Truthfully, it is only your testimony, Master Yoda, that causes me to accept it."

"Strange, it is," Yoda agreed, "Very strange. Skeptical, I would be, if not for the Force. Knew Master Azimuth long ago I did, but this alone, enough it is not. But the Force, cradle her it does. Like a purrgil, hmm?"

"Like a purrgil indeed," Mace said. "I have never seen the Force behave in such an odd way. It's like she isn't quite…" He trailed off, searching for the right words. "It's like she doesn't belong here."

"It's more than that, though," Oppo Rancisis said. "The analogy of a purrgil strikes me as accurate. While stars and planets are confined to their courses, a purrgil travels freely so far as it is able, and it is its wandering that makes it dangerous."

"You think the girl is dangerous?" Adi Gallia asked.

"I do," Oppo stated firmly. "There is something not right about her presence. The Force cradles her, yes. But it does so the way a river cradles a stone, curling naturally around a disruption. A river can push a stone, but a stone can also divert a river."

Mace leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "There are shatterpoints around her unlike those I have seen before. The only way I can describe them is flexible. And unreadable. Shatterpoints have a natural ebb and flow, appearing for a time and disappearing when an opportunity has passed. But she almost seems to be a constant shatterpoint in and of herself, and that point is in a continual state of flux. Normally, I can glean some idea of the meaning behind a shatterpoint. I cannot read anything around her. And I admit that I find that unsettling."

"Clouded, she is," Yoda commented.

"What should we do with her?" Adi Gallia asked. "Is it wise to allow her into our home, if she is so obscured in the Force?"

"Better to keep her near where we can observe, than off in the corners of the galaxy," Plo Koon said, stroking his breathing apparatus thoughtfully. "A purrgil is not so dangerous if its movements can be monitored. I sense there is more to her than what has yet been revealed."

"Sense this, I do," Yoda agreed. "Watch her, we should."

"How?" Eeth Koth asked. "Do we let her stay in the Temple while she does her research? Do we limit the areas she may visit, or do we let her roam freely? Do we keep her under surveillance?"

"How do we know she isn't connected with the Sith?" Saesee Tiin challenged. "I sense some degree of darkness within her."

"There is far too much light for her to be a Sith," Depa argued. "She has no more darkness than our own Jedi Shadows."

"And yet the darkness is there," Saesee pressed, "and she isn't one of our Shadows. We don't know what her Order teaches. We have never met them, save for Yoda's interaction with one of their Masters when said Master was only a Padawan. Much can change in an individual in only a few years, let alone hundreds."

"I agree," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "We know next to nothing about her, and next to nothing about her Order. I don't trust her."

"Trust must be cultivated over time," Plo Koon countered. "We cannot learn about her if we send her away. The Force holds no warning."

"But the Force is clouded around her."

"Then perhaps we should look into the cloud, and see if it dissipates."

"The archives are accessible to the public," Depa pointed out. "We have no grounds on which to deny her access. And it would make sense for her to travel to Coruscant with us. The Republic transport is more than large enough. I think the question is where she would stay, and whether we keep an eye on her while she is in the archives."

"We are not in the habit of allowing strangers to stay in our Temple," Ki-Adi said. "She should find lodging elsewhere in the city."

"To be fair, most strangers are not Jedi from other galaxies," Plo Koon commented. "If one of our Padawans found themself in this other Order's domain, would we not want them to show our child hospitality?"

"Plo makes a good point," Mace said. "This is another Order's student, not a random Force-user. Clouded though she may be, it does not seem to be the shroud of the Dark side. And it would be easier to keep an eye on her if she was confined to the Temple rather than wandering the city."

"We could request that she meet with us to discuss the specifics of her Order, if she is willing, and when we are not caught up in other meetings," Depa suggested. "That way, we could learn more about both her and these other Jedi. Knowledge illuminates many shadows, and wisdom mitigates risk. Personally, I am quite intrigued by this Padawan and her claims, and I welcome an opportunity to learn more."

"Depa, you spent the afternoon with young Skywalker. Is there anything he said about Retrograde that is relevant to this conversation?" Mace asked.

The woman took a moment to consider that question. "Nothing in particular. I gather that he is quite fond of her, and views her with an almost hero-worship. From his descriptions, she seems to be patient and to take care to help him learn. She has begun teaching him to fly, and she attempted to teach him how to meditate. I suspect there are many other things she has taught him as well. He believes her to be strong, intelligent, and capable. He feels safe around her, and given his background, that is quite an accomplishment. He clearly trusts her a great deal."

"I am not sure that really helps us here," Even Piel commented. "His moral compass and perceptions are likely skewed. We can't accept his testimony of her character blindly."

"Neither should we be quick to dismiss it," Plo Koon said. "This is a child who has every reason not to trust, and yet he puts his trust in this woman."

Depa hummed. "Perhaps we should table this discussion and move on to what to do with the boy. Our decision on that will affect what we do with Retrograde. If we decide not to train him, I suspect she will step into the role of guardian. She already seems to be serving that purpose to some extent."

"He is strong with the Force, that much is clear," Windu said. "But he is also far older than any youngling we have ever admitted."

"I sense much fear in him," Yoda commented.

Several other Masters murmured their agreement.

"There is fear, yes, but that is to be expected for one of his background," Depa said. "It is a fear beaten into him both literally and figuratively. He was not fortunate enough to be born in the Republic and identified by our Seekers, and he did not grow up in the shelter and security of the Temple. Fear is what he learned to stay alive. I believe with patience and training he can unlearn it, or at least learn to overcome it."

"He's dangerous," Saesee Tiin said. "I sense it as clearly as anything. The seeds of the Dark side are already there."

"I agree," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "I do not think we should train him."

"Are there not seeds of Darkness in all of us?" Depa asked. "Perhaps fewer in our children, but we who have faced the darkness in the galaxy carry with us some Darkness in ourselves. It is our training and discipline that holds us to the Light."

Plo Koon hummed thoughtfully. "He is quite powerful. I sense potential danger too, but that does not guarantee harm. If we do not train him, who is to say the Sith won't seek him out? He is a beacon in the Force, one which will only grow brighter as he ages."

"If we do train him, who is to say he won't fall?" Ki-Adi countered. "Depa, you make the point that we all have that potential, but we are trained Masters who gained our blemishes mainly throughout our adult lives, when we could keep them from taking hold too deeply. His spots are much deeper. It is far more likely for them to fester as he grows than it would be for one of us."

Depa nodded. "I agree with you to some extent, in that such spots gained young can be harder to overcome. I know this well." She made eye contact with Mace, who knew what she was referring to. As her Master, he had guided her through her struggles about what happened to her family. "But it is not impossible. He would simply require more support than a Temple-raised youngling. We have a better chance at directing his path and preventing such a disaster as Falling if he is one of us than we do if he is set loose in the galaxy."

There was a brief moment of silence as the Masters considered both these stances on the matter, mulling over Ki-Adi and Depa's words.

"He has already had some training," Adi Gallia pointed out. "I would like to know why Padawan Retrograde thought it would be ok to train a random boy in Jedi ways. He is more dangerous half-trained than not at all."

"Is he?" Eeth Koth asked. "Or does he have a better chance at avoiding unsavory Force-users? From what we know, he has been taught a bit of shielding and a bit of meditating. Neither of these are skills specific to Jedi. Meditation in particular is popular in a number of cultures, and it is quite a healthy practice whether one is Force-sensitive or not. Shielding could help him keep himself hidden from those who would wish to exploit his powers."

Plo Koon tapped a claw against the armrest of his chair. "Regardless of whether he should have been trained to begin with, it stands that he already has some training. And I suspect that Retrograde would continue to train him if we do not. I think it would be wiser for us to train him in our ways, under our supervision, than to reject him and risk a half-training by one who has not completed her own learning."

"We could forbid her from training him," Ki-Adi-Mundi mused. "He is technically a Ward of the Order, whether or not he becomes a youngling, and as such we would be within our rights to dictate such a thing."

"But what would we do with him if we aren't going to train him?" Depa asked. "Send him to one of the Corps? Give him to one of the Coruscanti Children's Homes? Send him back to his mother? None of those are good or even plausible options."

There was another moment of silence as folks fell into their own thoughts, trying to come up with solutions to this problem.

Windu sighed heavily. "I wish Jinn had discussed his plans with us before gaining custody of a child."

A few of the Councilors hummed or grunted in agreement.

"Kenobi reported that it was Jinn's dying charge that Kenobi train Skywalker," the Korun Jedi continued after a moment. "As much as I dislike the idea, I admit that we have few options other than training the boy, and I suspect that Kenobi would be willing to go against the Council's wishes if he had to. He gave Jinn his word."

"Obi-Wan is one who has always been good on his word," Plo said fondly. "His integrity is admirable."

"And his stubbornness is as bad as Qui-Gon's," Mace said.

That earned a few huffs and knowing glances shared between the group members as images of the duo's many stubborn moments came to mind.

"We should honor Jinn's final request," Eeth Koth said after a moment. "It may be a complicated situation, but I do not think it is impossible. I am in favor of training the boy."

"How many are currently in favor of training Skywalker?" Mace asked.

Most of the hands in the room lifted.

Mace glanced at Yoda, who was one of the beings who did not raise a hand, and then glanced around the room at the others. "Is anyone still undecided as to their position on the matter?"

No hands.

"Does anyone have any additional comments to add to the discussion, or are we ready to move forward to a vote?"

When no one spoke up with additional thoughts, Mace put the proposition forward as a motion, and they took a vote.

"Motion passes," he said, though this decision had not been unanimous the way Kenobi's knighting had. "What about having Kenobi be the one to train him?"

"I normally would not support allowing someone so newly knighted to take a Padawan, especially a Padawan with such a special case," Depa commented, "but I also think we should honor Jinn's request. And from what little interaction I have seen, it seems that the boy gets along with Obi-Wan. He primarily seeks approval from Retrograde, but he takes Obi-Wan's word to be trustworthy."

"In that case, perhaps it is best if Obi-Wan trains him," Plo said. "We must not forget the length of time the two have already spent together. That foundation may make his transition easier."

A few more Masters commented on the issue, some speaking for and some against. Yoda was one of the voices against, a position to which he held firm even as some of the other Masters were swayed. When the discussion began to go in circles, the issue of whether Obi-Wan should train Anakin was put to an official vote. It was not unanimous, but there was enough of a majority in favor for it to pass.

They also decided to observe Sienna for a time before making any additional decisions (there would be plenty of time for observation and discussion on the flight back to Coruscant), and to spend a great deal of time in meditation.

From there they moved on to other relevant issues. By the time the meeting was adjourned, the Nubian sun was beginning to set, casting a warm pink glow across the room. The Council members dispersed, some to find a meal and others to oversee the funeral arrangements, with the agreement to return in one standard hour for Obi-Wan's knighting. Though he would not be able to go through the entire traditional process, such as the day of meditation, the ceremony itself would be completed as close to normal as possible. The Masters agreed that it would be better for Obi-Wan to be knighted before the funeral, and thus still be able to give Qui-Gon his Padawan braid should he so desire, than for Obi-Wan to wait a day in order to go through all the traditional steps of knighting.

Yoda was the only one who remained in the room. He sent a summons to Obi-Wan, and within ten minutes the young man had made his way to the makeshift Council chamber.

"You wished to see me, Master?" Obi-Wan asked as he straightened from his bow.

The little green Jedi hobbled closer and tapped his gimer stick gently against Obi-Wan's shins. "Kneel."

Obi-Wan sunk to one knee and folded his hands together, tilting his head curiously.

Yoda began to pace a short path across the floor, a slow back and forth in front of the Padawan. "Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight, the Council does," he began.

Obi-Wan broke into a smile.

"But"-Yoda turned sharply and rapped his stick against the floor-"agree with you taking this boy as your Padawan Learner, _I_ do not."

"Qui-Gon believed in him," Obi-Wan said.

Yoda sighed deeply, shaking his head. "The Chosen One the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training."

The smile had disappeared from Obi-Wan's face now, replaced with a hint of tension, like a Gorgodon posturing for a fight. "Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I _will_ train Anakin."

"Agh." Yoda turned back to his pacing.

"Without the approval of the Council if I must."

"Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you," Yoda said, wrapping both clawed hands over the top of his walking stick. "Need _that_ , you do not." He inhaled deeply, releasing some of his frustration. "Agree with you the Council does," he admitted, turning back to Obi-Wan. "Your apprentice, Skywalker will be."

Obi-Wan inclined his head.

"Hmm." Yoda sighed once more. "Dismissed, you are. In forty minutes return, and a Knight you will be."

* * *

Obi-Wan knelt in the center of a darkened room. He could feel the presences of the Council members around him, though he could not see them. Curtains had been drawn over the tall windows of the palace room, blocking out the last vestiges of light from the setting sun.

A short green blade lept forth in the darkness, quickly followed by several other blades of varying colors. Obi-Wan noted the extra space between two of them- a space Qui-Gon should have filled. The Council had left the place empty in honor of him.

The blades lowered, coming to hover even with Obi-Wan's shoulders.

"We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi"—Yoda moved his blade to hover over Obi-Wan's right shoulder—"by the right of the Council"—he swept the blade over Obi-Wan's head, to his left shoulder-"by the will of the Force"—the blade returned to its position over the right shoulder—"dub thee I do, Jedi, Knight of the Republic."

Normally, this would be the moment that the new Knight's former Master would step forward to sever the Padawan braid. In Qui-Gon's absence it was Yoda who took this up. He waved a hand, the Force lifting Obi-Wan's braid from his shoulder, and with an expert flick of his saber he cut the marker of apprenticeship. Obi-Wan caught the braid as Yoda released it, wrapping his fingers gingerly around the object. He then stood, took up his lightsaber, and strode silently from the room.

Knight Kenobi… that would take some getting used to. He looked down at his hand, uncurling his fingers to observe the long, thin braid resting in his palm. It was odd, to hold it like this, when for so long it had hung by his ear. He brought his left hand up and ran his fingers along it, pausing over the many beads and ties woven into the strands. He remembered the day each had been slipped on, pride shining in Qui-Gon's eyes as he awarded his apprentice with these markers of accomplishment. He remembered the day his hair had first been twisted into a stubby little braid, and he remembered the day that Qui-Gon re-braided it anew after Obi-Wan's return from Melida/Daan. Both times, there had been an air of hesitance around the Master, but as the years stretched on Obi-Wan had felt that hesitance fade. Some Masters do the initial braid and then leave its upkeep to the Padawan, but at some point Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had made a habit of using re-braiding as a time of bonding. Whenever possible, Qui-Gon would fix the braid. After particularly long or difficult missions, the moment would serve as a reminder that they were both still here together. That they had made it through a challenge and had grown from it. That they both still served the Force.

The Master, the Apprentice, and the Force. Three strands intertwined. Only now, two were one. This was not a challenge that would end with Qui-Gon's calloused fingers twisting freshly washed strands of hair into a neat plait, slipping beads back into their proper places. Qui-Gon and the Force were now one.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and closed his fist over the braid once more.

Later that evening, when the funeral pyre was set, Obi-Wan gently placed the braid beneath one of Qui-Gon's unmoving hands.

_Thank you, Master. For everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience during my winter hiatus. :) I had a nice break, and now we're back!
> 
> I am planning on bi-weekly updates until I have replenished my stash of future chapters. Normally, I like to have two more chapters written every time I post one. That gives me some flexibility for when I have busy weeks without time to write. I currently only have the immediate next chapter written and then some rough drafts of farther future chapters, so I need to take the time to fill in the middle area between them.
> 
> I post news about this fic on my side blog on tumblr. It can be found at thefirstruleoftimetravel. There, post updates about when there will be a hiatus, along with some fun stuff like art of the ocs in this fic. :) You can also find my main blog under spotted-newt. Feel free to drop by!


	18. Chapter 18

"So what happens now?" Sienna asked.

Obi-Wan brushed his fingers over the leaves of flowering bush. The two were walking through the palace gardens, taking a bit of a respite after the busyness of the day before. Anakin had intended to join them, but then one of the handmaidens had invited him to see how the Queen's wigs were made, and he had jumped at the opportunity to spend time with people a little closer to his own age.

"The Council has granted me permission to train Anakin," he replied.

He heard Sienna release a breath, and felt relief color her Force-signature.

"That's great," she said. "I wasn't sure what I was gonna do if they weren't gonna let him become a Jedi."

"Couldn't you have brought him to your own Order?" Obi-Wan asked. That was something he'd been wondering about, in the few moments where he took the time to fret over what-ifs. "Aside from the obvious issue of being stuck for the moment, I would think it would be easier to convince your Council to accept a nine year-old youngling than to convince mine."

Sienna cast him a sideways glance. "It… doesn't really work like that. And even if it did, joining the Cosmic Order means leaving everything and everyone behind. For good. Here, he has the chance to possibly see his mom again. He might not get to, depending on the way life happens, but he's got a chance. If he joined my Order, he wouldn't even have that."

"Because it's in another galaxy?"

"Mmm. The only way to travel back and forth is by Force portal, and those are unpredictable. Only a couple of the Masters have the ability to go wherever they please, whenever they please. The rest of us go where they send us, or go where the Force itself sends us. But for the most part, we stay in our galaxy, and leave the intergalactic travel to the Masters."

Obi-Wan nodded. "That seems like it would be wise."

"Yeah. I mean, look what happened to me. If it were Master Nexus who fell through a portal, she'd be able to just"—Sienna snapped her fingers—"open up a new one and pop right back home. But I'm no Master, so I'm stuck here until I find a portal, or until the Masters find me. Anyone who isn't Master Azimuth, Master Nexus, or Master Borealis runs that risk every time they travel. "

"How do you mitigate that risk?"

"Well, the easiest way is to just tell someone where you're going," Sienna said with a short laugh. "That's a good policy even if you're just going out for a drink down the street. The buddy system works great too. That way, if you get stuck, at least you aren't on your own. And as you've probably noticed, our Force-signatures are unique. We stand out in this galaxy. If you came to ours, you'd stand out too. The more of us there are together when we travel, the easier it is for someone from home to find us."

"I imagine it also makes you a larger target though," Obi-Wan mused. "The difference is glaringly obvious to any Force-user. It's difficult to describe, but it catches attention. That was one of the first things Qui-Gon noticed about you."

Sienna hummed in agreement. "Yup. That's why small groups are best. We work in pairs, or groups of three or four, rarely more than that. And we shield our presences as much as we can so we don't draw unwanted attention. My problem is that if I shield all the time, the Masters won't be able to find me. So I have to balance that risk. Luckily, there aren't a lot of threats here, and for the most part I'm in no more danger than you or any other Jedi."

"I suppose that's something."

"Mm."

They lapsed into comfortable silence again. Obi-Wan paused before a flowering bush that had several butterflies fluttering about it. Qui-Gon had always been incredibly fond of anything that grew, or flew, or even scuttled along the ground. If it was alive, Qui-Gon was instantly drawn to it. He had been known to bring home half-dead plants and animals alike, often tasking a teenage Obi-Wan with nursing the things back to health to "teach him responsibility" and to help him become "more in-tune with the Living Force." After the third such incident, Obi-Wan had remarked that Qui-Gon seemed to have an affinity for 'pathetic life-forms' to which Qui-Gon had chuckled and teasingly said that Obi-Wan was one of them.

Obi-Wan smirked as he realized that technically, Qui-Gon had left him with one more pathetic life-form to look after. The bastard. It was just like him to pick up a nine year-old boy and then drop him on Obi-Wan, sweeping away before having to deal with any messes.

His smile dimmed somewhat as he thought of the many plants cluttering the balcony of his and Qui-Gon's shared quarters. Plants Qui-Gon would never again water and tend. And Anakin, who Obi-Wan would train and raise, would never interact with Qui-Gon as his grandmaster. Obi-Wan had never met his own grandmaster, but he had always hoped to, someday. Other Padawans swapped stories of lineage dinners or outings, giggling over tales of their Master and grandmaster bickering. Obi-Wan had often dreamed that perhaps, if and when he had his own Padawan, he could convince Qui-Gon to participate in such things.

It seemed he would never get the chance.

"I'm thinking of switching to Soresu," Obi-Wan commented aloud.

Sienna glanced up. "Hm?"

"Ataru was the Form Qui-Gon Mastered in," the Knight continued, "it served him well for a long time, but in the end it was his downfall. It left him too open, too vulnerable. Soresu is more defensive. Its movements are designed to better protect the practitioner and to be more energy efficient than many of the other forms." Obi-Wan looked out over the garden, tilting his head slightly in thought. "My foundation is in Ataru as well. I have the same weaknesses in my technique that Qui-Gon had in his. But I think focusing on Soresu would help eliminate those weaknesses."

Sienna nodded slowly, considering this. "That makes sense."

"I've been practicing, a lot," Obi-Wan admitted. "Replaying the fight in my mind. Searching for all the mistakes. For what I could have done differently."

"So that's where you were all week," Sienna said. "I was starting to wonder if you'd gone and left Naboo, or disappeared out into the swamps."

Obi-Wan hummed. He looked down at the butterfly bush and gently plucked a leaf from one of the branches, running his thumb over the ridged edge. "Ataru has little defensive capability. If either of us had practiced Soresu… Or if I had been faster…" He paused, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "Maybe… Maybe he would still be alive."

"You can't blame yourself, Bee," Sienna said gently. She reached out and brushed a hand over his shoulder, then let it settle more firmly. "You did all you could. Mistakes happen."

"I won't make the same mistakes twice," Obi-Wan vowed. He glanced over at her. "And I won't leave Anakin without a Master. Not if I can help it."

She didn't really have a response to that, so she just nodded.

"What's your preferred Form?" Obi-Wan asked, letting the leaf fall to the ground and beginning to walk again.

Sienna let her hand drop as well. "I prefer blasters," she said, and laughed at the scandalized look Obi-Wan gave her. "I'm better with them than anything else. And if I can't have blasters, I'll take hand to hand over 'sabers."

"You don't like 'sabers?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously.

"It's not that I don't like them, per se, it's that I'm not very good at them. I've spent my entire life using blasters and fighting with my fists. If I have a blaster in my hand, I know I can take someone down. But if I'm using a 'saber, first of all I have to get close enough to use it, by which point I could just throw a good punch and call it a day, and second of all if I'm facing down another swordsman chances are they're way better than I am and I really shouldn't be engaging them in a prolonged saber fight. And third, most of the missions I go on are to places where revealing my status as a Jedi wouldn't be smart, so lightsabers are a last resort anyway."

"'Not being very good' can be remedied through practice," Obi-Wan said.

Sienna shrugged. "Well yeah, but in a pinch I'm better off using a weapon I know I can do the job with."

"Perhaps, but if you never use your 'saber you'll never improve."

"I won't have a chance to improve if I use a 'saber and end up getting myself killed."

"So practice," Obi-Wan insisted again.

"I _do_ practice. But my talents are in piloting, tinkering, and blasters. I'm of more use to the Order if I stick to those and continue to hone those skills than if I spend all my time trying to become a swordsman."

"You're of no use to anyone if you're afraid to duel and can't hold your own against an opponent with a 'saber," Obi-Wan retorted. "If you can't handle a 'saber, why bother training to become a Knight? Why not just work somewhere as a pilot or a mechanic?"

Sienna shot him an annoyed look. "I'm not afraid to duel."

"No?" He lifted an eyebrow.

"No."

"Prove it."

"What?"

Obi-Wan shed his cloak, tossed the garment aside, and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. "Prove it," he said again. He swept his arms out, gesturing to the open space around them, a courtyard surrounded by hedges on two sides, flowering bushes on one, and a fish pond on the fourth. "We have plenty of space here. Fight me."

Sienna stared at him for a second, as if trying to figure out if he was serious. When she decided that he was, she unclipped her saber too. "Alrighty."

Obi-Wan glanced at the fist curled around her saber hilt. "You're left-handed?"

"Yup."

"Interesting." He thumbed the activation switch on his own saber, the azure blade leaping forth with a familiar snap-hiss, and fell into the Ataru opening stance. "Let's begin."

Sienna settled into an opening stance and ignited her own gold blade. They circled each other for a moment, feeling each other out, and then Obi-Wan made the first move. A quick forward slash, which Sienna blocked. He stepped back, and tried a few more easy slashes, testing her and giving both of them an opportunity to warm up a little. He met her gaze, smirked, and then went in for some real blows.

He had her disarmed in seconds.

"You really are terrible," Obi-Wan commented cheerfully as he held his 'saber to her throat.

"Jee, thanks," she shot back. "Might I remind you that you have a solid twenty years of training on me?"

"You might," he said, extinguishing his 'saber and releasing her from the hold. "But I suspect a determined youngling would be able to beat you."

She huffed and stooped to pick up her 'saber hilt.

"Again," Obi-Wan said, settling back into the opening stance.

The second round ended even more quickly than the first.

"What Form is that even supposed to be?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Djem So."

"Well, if you're aiming to be a Krayt dragon, whatever that was reminds me more of a flailing worm."

"Very funny, Mister hawk-bat."

"At least you can identify the Forms, even if you can't apply them."

" _Mir'sheb_."

They went a few more rounds, none of them lasting very long, and all ending with Obi-Wan's victory.

"You know, I'm starting to think you just like kicking my butt," Sienna said, pushing herself up off the ground.

Obi-Wan laughed. "You're hardly much of a challenge."

She glared at him. "Face me at hand-to-hand and we'll see who's a 'challenge' then."

He laughed again. "Alright."

Sienna blinked. "Alright?"

"Mm." Obi-Wan tossed his saber on top of his discarded cloak. "Let's go a round of hand-to-hand."

Sienna tucked her lightsaber into the specialized compartment in her blaster holster and shrugged off her vest. A smirk spread across her face as she and Obi-Wan circled one another, knees bent and fists raised.

Obi-Wan made the first move, just as he had with the lightsaber spar, throwing a punch toward her head. Sienna blocked with her elbow and threw a punch of her own, which Obi-Wan redirected. They exchanged a few more blows, and Sienna managed to cuff him in the ear, though not hard enough to do any real damage. Obi-Wan looped one arm around her right one and brought his other down against her neck. Sienna ducked under that arm and jabbed a hand upwards to throw it off, lowering her center of gravity and using the created opening to loop her now-freed right arm under his leg to throw him around her body and down to the ground. From there Sienna wrapped him in a tight headlock.

"Ready to give up, Kenobi?"

"Not a... chance," he grit out. However, when he tried to break out of her hold, he found he couldn't get even an inch of leverage. Sienna tightened her grip, drawing a gasp from Obi-Wan.

"Don't make me suffocate you," she warned, only half-joking.

Obi-Wan tried again to break out of the familiar hold, pushing aside his body's natural panic response at being deprived of oxygen and trying to remain level-headed, but ultimately was forced to tap out when the edges of his vision started going dark.

Sienna immediately released him and rolled away, jumping to her feet and extending a hand.

He coughed heavily as his lungs leapt into overdrive, and accepted the hand up.

"Was that enough of a challenge for you?" Sienna asked with a smirk.

"I suppose it was sufficient," Obi-Wan said, brushing dirt off his robes.

Sienna put her hands on her hips. "You _suppose_?"

"One win could just be luck." The Knight shook out his arms and rolled his shoulders, then settled back into a fighting stance. "Let's see if you can beat me again."

"Oh, you're on."

Sienna won four more rounds before Obi-Wan finally managed to claim a victory, and then she won two more after that.

"Dude, your back is gonna hate you tomorrow," she commented, after slamming him into the ground once again, effectively knocking the wind out of him.

It took a minute for him to make his lungs work, and another for him to be able to speak. "Not to worry, it hates me anyway."

She laughed. "Have I beaten you up enough yet?"

Obi-Wan grunted an affirmative and climbed up to his feet, wincing as the movement pulled at a sore spot in his back. "I'd say so."

"Good. I wouldn't want to return you to the Council too black and blue."

Obi-Wan released a breathy laugh. "Oh, they've seen me in far worse condition. I doubt they'd even be surprised." He rubbed at a spot on his arm and gingerly stretched the limb. "I see now why you favor Form Six. Its focus on redirecting an opponent's attack and using their strikes against them matches your fighting style."

Sienna hummed. "It's Calian's preferred Form too. 'Course, he's a six-foot-four giant of a Twi'lek, so it's naturally the most effective Form for him to use, and I'm short in comparison, but I vibe with it more than the other Forms."

"Hmm. I noticed that you didn't really press an attack when we were sparring with 'sabers, not like you did in hand-to-hand," Obi-Wan commented. "And since I'm taller than you, there wasn't really an opportunity for you to use the Falling Avalanche. How often do you spar with someone that's your height?"

"Given that most of my friends are freakishly tall, pretty much never."

Obi-Wan snorted. "So you never actually get to use Djem Sho's signature move?"

"...no, I guess not."

"And you aren't confident in your abilities with a lightsaber, so you're in a headspace of trying not to get killed rather than in a headspace of actively trying to win, which causes you to be hesitant and sloppy with your strokes."

Sienna considered this. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"And your lack of confidence works against the Form you're trying to employ, since Djem Sho is about overpowering your opponent, not self-defense," Obi-Wan mused. Then, after a beat, "Have you considered Makashi?"

"Mmm, not really, no. I always thought that was for folks who care more about grace and style."

"To some extent, I suppose, but it is designed specifically for dueling an opponent with a lightsaber. It needs to be combined with offensive moves from another Form if you want to land any real blows, but if you just want to survive and keep your lightsaber in your hand, maybe knock your opponent back or trap him, Form Two is the one that will allow you to do that with the least amount of energy expenditure. It utilizes jabs and parries instead of slashes, along with thrusts, back-and-forth charges, and retreats. There's an emphasis on balance, which you clearly have. Soresu is similar, but with more focus on deflecting blaster attacks and wearing out your opponent. However, seeing as you have less experience with a lightsaber than most swordsfolks you'll face, the longer a fight draws out the greater the risk. So, Soresu's style wouldn't work. And I suspect it's a bit pacifistic for your taste."

"So… You think I'm better suited to Makashi?" Sienna asked.

"I think it would serve you better given your current skills," Obi-Wan said. "You certainly have the strength and grit to make Form Six work, but you lack the confidence and experience with swordplay. Form Two would give you that foundation to build on. And seeing as you prefer other weapons, you're likely only going to draw your 'saber to face off against another 'saber, and like I said, Makashi is designed for dueling."

Sienna mulled that over.

"Plus," Obi-Wan began, a mischievous glint in his eye, "then you could actually use your Form's signature moves."

"Are you calling me short?" Sienna challenged.

"I said no such thing."

"Well you _implied_ it, jerk." She playfully swung at him, and he ducked under her fist with a laugh. "I'll have you know I am of average height, thank you very much. And even if I was short, I still kicked your butt in seven rounds of hand-to-hand."

"And how many times did I beat you at 'sabers?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow

"Not enough to go getting an ego."

"Hmm, then perhaps we should go a few more rounds, to justify this supposed ego."

"Or I could knock you out and throw you into the fish pond over there."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge, Knight Kenobi?"

He smirked. "If that's the way you see it."

"Well in that case…" Sienna lunged forward.

Obi-Wan ducked out of the way and flung a hand out for his lightsaber, calling on the Force to bring it to him.

"Oh no you don't." Sienna swiped the weapon out of the air just before it reached Obi-Wan's outstretched fingers and proceeded to chuck it into the bushes.

"Hey! You can't just throw my lightsaber around like that!"

"Just did," she smirked, and ducked under Obi-Wan's retaliatory fist.

The Knight feinted right and went left, blocked a blow, and swiped Sienna's 'saber from its holster compartment. He brandished the gold blade in front of him, using wide sweeping arcs to push Sienna backwards. "Perhaps you shouldn't have, seeing as you're now bladeless against a 'saber-wielding opponent."

"Nah, I'm pretty content with my choice."

She whipped out both blasters and began firing, forcing Obi-Wan on the defensive. He adjusted well, tightening his movements to deflect the shots, falling into Soresu.

"Is that the best you've got?" He taunted, sending one of the bolts whizzing past her ear.

"Is that the best insult you've got?" Sienna countered. She shot low and high at the same time, so that Obi-Wan had to lift his saber to avoid losing his head and jump backwards to avoid losing a foot, thus forcing him backwards towards the pond. A few more shots like that put him almost on the edge, and another knocked Sienna's lightsaber out of his hand. It rolled away into a nearby bush.

"I've got you pinned," Sienna said, slowly advancing while aiming both blasters at him.

Obi-Wan lifted his hands. "It would certainly seem so."

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you-"

Obi-Wan yanked the blasters out of her hands with the Force, calling them to his own. Sienna flung her hands forward to stop them, and thus the blasters were caught mid-air in a Force-powered tug-of-war.

"Ummm what are you guys doing?"

The two Jedi cast quick glances to the side. Anakin stood at the end of the path, watching the two of them with a confused expression.

"We're sparring," Sienna responded, scrunching her face as she drew more power from the Force.

Obi-Wan met that with his own, and being the one with more training, the blasters began to inch towards him.

Anakin looked from Sienna, to Obi-Wan, and back again. "Why are your blasters in the air?"

"Cuz Obi-Wan's trying to steal them," she grunted, "and I'm trying to push him into the pond."

"Why?"

"So I can win."

Anakin cocked his head to the side. He regarded the scene before him for another second, then casually lifted his hands.

"Ay!" Obi-Wan fell backwards with an undignified yelp and a large splash.

Sienna burst out laughing as Obi-Wan flailed and sat up. "Bet you didn't see that coming, huh Bee?"

Obi-Wan spat pond water out of his mouth and swept a lily pad off his shoulder. "If by 'that' you mean a horrendous display of cheating, then no, I didn't, though I suppose I should have."

"Mmm, yes, you really should have," Sienna said sweetly. "No hard feelings though." She stepped to the edge of the pond and offered a hand.

Obi-Wan leaned forward to accept it, only to yank back with a Force-aided pull and send Sienna over his head and into the deeper water.

Sienna coughed as she surfaced and shook water out of her hair. "Alright, you know, I deserve that for being stupid enough to offer you a hand out of the pond."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed. "I'm surprised you fell for it."

Sienna chucked a lily pad at him.

Anakin, for his part, was doubled over with laughter. "You guys look _ridiculous_."

"That they do," agreed a fourth voice, as Mace Windu stepped out from behind a hedge.

Obi-Wan paled. He sputtered out a "hello, Master" and tried to scramble to his feet to greet the Council member with a bow, but he slipped on a patch of algae and went crashing down again, this time face first.

Sienna didn't bother trying to look dignified. She just offered a casual grin and a two-fingered salute as Obi-Wan choked on the pond water. "Master Windu."

"Padawan Retrograde," the Korun Jedi greeted, with a level of calm as if he wasn't talking to someone sitting in a fish pond. "I see you're enjoying Naboo's gardens."

"They're full of surprises."

"Indeed they are. And Knight Kenobi, spending time with your new Padawan?"

"New Padawan?" Anakin echoed. "When did you get a Padawan? Who is it?"

Obi-Wan groaned. "You are," he said. "The Council gave me permission to train you. I was going to ask you to be my Padawan later today."

Anakin's eyes lit up. "You mean I get to become a Jedi?"

"If you want to, yes."

"Wizard!"

Trying to salvage what little he could of the situation, Obi-Wan asked, "Anakin Skywalker, would you do me the honor of becoming my Padawan Learner?"

"Yeah!" Anakin said, grinning from ear to ear and nodding enthusiastically. "Absolutely."

"It's official then," Mace stated. "Padawan Skywalker, welcome to the Jedi Order."

"Thanks, Mister Windu!"

Mace offered a smile to the boy, then turned his gaze back to the twenty-somethings still in the water. "I suggest you two get cleaned up. The Queen has invited all of us to lunch before we return to Coruscant."

Obi-Wan dipped his head. "Yes, Master."

"I'll leave you to it."

Mace strode off the way he had come, a glimmer of amusement lingering in the Force behind him.

Obi-Wan groaned again, dropping his forehead against the soggy shore. "I'm cursed," he announced dramatically, though his voice was muffled a bit by the mud. "I will never ever live this down. I haven't even been a Knight for a full day and I've already gone and made a fool of myself."

Sienna scooted forward and patted his back sympathetically. "Look on the bright side, at least you'll remember the day you asked Anakin to be your Padawan in vivid detail."

Obi-Wan just sighed.

**Author's Note:**

> I have recently made a tumblr! I'm there as spotted-newt if you'd like to say hi. :)
> 
> I also made a blog for this story/universe specifically, called thefirstruleoftimetravel, where I posted an art piece. It has occurred to me that it may be a tiny bit of a spoiler, so perhaps refrain from checking that one out until we've made it through arc 1. :)


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